OLYMPIC CONTROL

Evening Star, Issue 22326, 30 April 1936, Page 13

OLYMPIC CONTROL

ALTERATIONS TO CONSTITUTION URGED PROPOSED CONFERENCE OF SPORTS BODIES While recognising Hint nothing .further could be done to have I’. E. Mathicson included in the New Zealand Olympic team, the Otago Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association, at its meeting last night, decided to convene a meeting of sports bodies to consider suggestions as to means by which Olympic constitution and team selection might bo improved. Jt was also decided to write to the New Zealand Swimming Council, expressing strong disapproval of the attitude adopted by the council secretary in not replying to centre correspondence on the subject. The secretary of the Taranaki Centre wrote stating that it had instructed its delegate to support the nomination of P. E. Mathieson for inclusion in the New Zealand Olympic team. The secretary of the Otago Head Centro of the Royal Life Saving Society wrote conveying his branch’s sincere approval of the centre’s activities concerning the nomination of P. ill. Mathieson for tho Olympic Games. It was felt that the centre had done its best in a difficult situation, and that the lack of < success had only gone to prove that the centre’s cause was just, and that the circumstances surrounding the case were brought about by a wrong disposition of authority in the choosing of the Olympic team. Mr P. A. Mathieson, sen., wrote stating that during the recent dispute between the centre and the council of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association on the question of Olympic team nominations, the centre had been put to considerable trouble in an endeavour to induce the council to forsake its attitude of hostility towards Otago’s nomination. He wished to tender to the centre, to the president and secretary in particular, the very sincere appreciation which he and his family felt for the strenuous efforts the centre had made to have his son Peter nominated to the Selection Committee. It was regrettable that so little success attended the centre’s efforts, but that did not detract from the sincerity of the centre’s attitude in the matter, and was a perfectly good reason, in the circumstances, why the matter should be pursued further with a view to tho method of selection being placed on such a footing that similar disputes would not be necessary in the future. Jt seemed to him that this matter, although disposed of so far as the 1930 team was concerned, might well be made the subject matter of a New Zealand-wide movement for the moving of the council’s headquarters to a centre where these matters were seen in their proper perspective, also for the reorganisation of the rules or constitution of the Empire and Olympic Selection Committee itself, as this nomination dispute had shown clearly that the committee responsible for the selection of a team had no authority, because of its rules, to call on the athletes it desired to put in the teams, no matter what qualifications they possessed. He considered that if the centre took up this matter it would receive the support of practically every athlete and sports body in New Zealand, for the matter had had such wide publicity during the past tew weeks that the situation was understood by almost everyone interested, and would he taken up more readily while still in the people’s minds. It was quite possible that if the New Zealand Council were taken at its word, there would be several Otago swimmers and divers to nominate for the Empire Games in 1938, and they would be failing in their duty if nothing were done to prevent a repetition of the recent deplorable situation. He felt strongly on the subject, not because of the person nominated being his son, but because of the' injustice of the position, and the fact that there was evidenced a determination on the part of the council to refuse a previous nomination from Otago. Mr Thomson moved that the secretary be authorised to convene a meeting of delegates from sporting bodies in Dunedin to consider the whole question of Olympic constitution and team selection with a view to arriving at some more satisfactory method of control than is at present the case. Mr Thomson said that so far as the Swimming Council was concerned, the majority of the delegates had little interest in the particular centres they represented on the council, it being obvious that some of the “ old hands ” had most of the say. The same position obtained in regard to the Olympic Council, whose members did not seem to bo particularly concerned with anyone outside the Olympic Council. If the Olympic Association could be constituted so that a meeting of delegates from various parts of the country were held annually, their expenses to bo paid by the Olympic Council, they might get somewhere, but as at present constituted the Olympic Association was a “ dud ” body. Mr D. T. Woodfield seconded the motion, and said that it was all very well for the New Zealand Swimming Council to say that certain times had been done, blit a report that had been received by the centre from America showed that Mathieson was definitely in world class.

It was reported that Mr R. J. Kiphuth, who had taken the American team to Japan last y r ear, had compiled a list of best performances in America last year for 100 metres hack stroke in a 50yds’ pool, and these showed that only three swimmers bad beaten Mathieson’s best time. At the America-Japan meeting no Japanese swimmer had don© better than Mathieson’s time.

The motion was carried. The chairman then traversed the ground that had been covered by the centre since last meeting in _ its endeavours to have Mathieson included in the New Zealand team. Even when the New Zealand Swimming Council had finally decided against sending Mathieson’s nomination forward to the Olympic Council, a final appeal had been made to the latter body, but without success, the Olympic Council holding that it could not go_ against the decision of a national association. Mr Jenkins said that the centre should strongly protest to the New Zealand Swimming Council at its attitude towards the Otago Centre. No minutes had been forwarded since earls in March, and neither had any communication been received since the same time. The only word received by the centre was a telegram in reply to the centre’s request that the matter should be considered, and a further telegram saying that the previous decision could not be altered. A letter from the Olympic Association had been received by the president, hut the-only means he had of knowing where it came from was that it arrived in a New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association envelope. It was most discourteous that no covering letter had been included. Mr Thomson said it was a matter for regret that the only means the centre

had of knowing what had happened was through its own delegate on the council. He was to he commended for keeping the centre advised. On Mr Thomson’s motion, tho secretary was instructed to write to the New Zealand Swimming Council asking that the centre be given a summary concerning the consideration of Mathicson’s nomination, the reasons of the council for his rejection, and also that the secretary point out that Mathieson’s times showed he was in world class, and that strong disapproval he expressed at the action of the council’s secretary towards the Otago Centre in not forwarding correspondence in regard to the matter. It was also decided to write to the centre’s delegate on tbe council (Mr A. T. F. Stokes), expressing its appreciation of his efforts on behalf of the centre and of Mathieson’s nomination.