IMPRESSIVE PARADE

Evening Star, Issue 22276, 29 February 1936, Page 19

IMPRESSIVE PARADE

CREAM OF COUNTRY’S ATHLETES OVERTURE TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Reminiscent on a smaller scale of the brilliant display which marked the inauguration of the 1932 Olympic Games at Los Angeles, an impressive parade of around 100 athletes, drawn from all six controlling centres of New Zealand, was staged as an opening ceremony this afternoon to the 45th annual national track and field championships at the Carisbrook Ground. Never before has a similar event been witnessed in the Dominion, and its colour and presentation of the cream of the land’s athletic youth will not soon bo forgotten by the crowd of several thousand spectators privileged to behold it. Promptly at 2 o’clock the ranks of competitors, hailing from Auckland to Bluff, moved off from the entrance at the north-east corner of the ground, near the clock tower. Headed bv the scarlet-uniformed Band of the Otago Regiment, the slim, lightly-attired athletes marched on to the green, past the grand stand and right round the field, halting on their return to the front of the stand. One of their number, R. Creeser, a former New Zealand champion javelin thrower, then mounted the speaker’s dais, raising his right hand, the others doing likewise, to swear an oath in accordance with the custom of the Olympic Games. After ho had resumed his position at the head of the parade the local centre’s president (Mr G. L. Tapley) was introduced from the dais to address the attendance briefly and to declare the games open, the announcement being heralded by a fanfare of trumpets by selected members of the local _ Bugle Band at the base of a centrally-situated mast. A great flutter of wings and a thousand pigeons soared heavenward from a special cote, as the New Zealand Ensign was broken from the masthead and the National Anthem was played. . . Less than half an hour was required to perform this attractive ceremony—a fitting overture to a sports meeting of such special significance. There was some consternation when the weather this morning broke after a brief spell of sunny days, but hope was again high that unpleasant conditions would hang fire until the termination of the games, indications of the weather’s clearing being gladly observed. Some of the early results will be foupd in the stop press column.