CENTRES CONFER

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 61, 13 March 1937, Page 11

CENTRES CONFER

REMITS DISCUSSED %

IMPORTANT DECISIONS

Remits of considerable importance, particularly to junior athletes and women, were discussed at the annual conference of athletic centres held at Auckland yesterday. Various recommendations were made, and these will be forwarded to the council of the N.Z.A.A.A. for consideration.

The remit that New Zealand junior and women's championships be established in the 1937-38 season was carried, although the question of finance gave rise to considerable discussion.

The.question of the age limit for juniors was raised by Mr. H. McCormick, hon. secretary.of the N.Z.A.A.A., who pointed out that it was essential that there should be uniformity regarding the ages set for junior competition. At the present time a junior was defined by the N.Z.A.A.A. as one under the age of 19 on the day of competition, but in several centres the age was 18. It was finally agreed that it be a recommendation to the New Zealand Council that for the purpose of championship events a junior be defined as one under the age of 19 on the day .of competition.

The problem of whether juniors should compete in senior championship events gave rise to considerable diversity of opinion. Mr. A. C. Kitlo (Wellington) raised the question of tlie exceptional youngster, the youth who matures fully at an early age. Was it fair, he asked, that a lad who might possibly be at his best at 18 should be prevented from engaging in senior championship events? The cases of several great athletes, in particular that of J. E. Meredith, of America, who won the Olympic 800 metres in 1912. when 18, were cited in favour of no fixed rule. It was ultimately decided, however, that it bo a recommendation that no junior athlete bo permitted to compete in senior championship events. JUNIOR AND WOMEN'S RECORDS. It was decided, also, to recommend that records and standards for junior and women's events be established, ana that such standards and records cover all women's events listed in the N.Z.A.A.A.'s handbook, and not just those speciEcally covered by the present rules. It was pointed out, for instance, by Mr. McCormick that an application for, the recognition ot a shot put record by Miss E. Munro, of Auckland, had been held over by the council, since there was no provision covering a record for such a competition, although it was numbered among the list of women's events. A Canterbury remit, that the rules relative to records and regulations for competitions be amended so that the same rules apply for standards as for records, was lost.

An amendment moved by Mr. Kitto, that it be a recommendation that no standard certificate be awarded unless a performance was put up under record conditions relating to track and weather, was carried unanimously. The mover pointed out that under the present rules a man might run 100 yards in 9 4-ssec with the assistance of a gale,