BRITISH EMPIRE GAMES

Evening Star, Issue 22834, 17 December 1937, Page 4

BRITISH EMPIRE GAMES

THEIR DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH NEW ZEALAND'S PARTICIPATION A CREDITABLE RECORD [By Hooker. J The attention of the whole- of New Zealand sportsmen is directed at present towards the British Empire Games to be held in Sydney from February 5 to February 12, 1938, and it may be recalled that the first recorded British Empire Games coincided with the celebrations in connection with the ' Coronation of King George V. in 1911, this being known as the “ Festival of Empire.” . “FESTIVAL OF EMPIRE.” A large and representative, committee, with tjie Earl of Plymouth as chairman, arranged at the Crystal palace Grounds, in London, a series of entertainments and exhibitions pertaining to the progress and development of the British Empire One of the features of the programme was an interEmpire sports meeting. Invitations were sent to Australia, Canada, and South Africa to compete- with the athletes of Great Britain to decide Empire supremacy. Lord Desborough and the late Mr William Henry (who visited Dunedin many years ago in connection with the Work of the Royal Life Saving Society, of which he was the founder) were mainly responsible for this section of the Festival. The programme consisted of track and field athletics,- boxing, wrestling, and swimming events, and a trophy in the • form of a silver cup, 2ft 6in high, and weighing 3400 z, the gift of the famous British patron of sport, Lord Lonsdale, was presented to the winning country, which was Canada. ADVOCATE FOR GAMES. .As far as can be ascertained, the honour of first conceiving the idea of Empire Games should go to the late Mr Richard Coombes, the grand old man of Australian athletics. Mr Coombes was for more than 40 years president of the New South Wales Amateur Athletic Association, and for more than 35 years president of the Amateur Athletic Union of Australia. Mt- Coombes, who was well known to New Zealand athletic and coursing followers, and was a foremost, sporting journalist, ; advocated .. the Empire Garries long before the “ Festival of Empire ” meeting, and even long afterwards drew attention to their Imperial value. , .> / No further development took, place until 1928, when the Olympic . Games were in progress in Amsterdam. The splendid feeling of friendliness between the Empire athletes at the Olympic Games strengthened the, ideas-for the revival of Empire meetings. REVIVAL AT HAMILTON. In view of Canada’s victory in 1911 it was appropriate that it should have been through the initiative of a Canadian—Mr M. M. Robinson—that the Empire Games took definite shape, and revived at Hamilton, Canada, in 1930. Support was forthcoming from England, Scotland, Wales,, and Ireland, with the result that strong teams wore sent to Canada. Teams also came from Australia, New Zealand, , Bermuda, British Guiana,., and ■ South Africa. The events at this meeting comprised track and field athletics, swimming, rowing, boxing, and wrestling. and lawn bowling. While no points were allotted, it was fitting that tion ® ri^am the premier posir_The success of the first Empire Games at Hamilton in 1930 provided full proof of the existence of the spirit fv comradeship between members of .®. British nation the world over, and will go down in the history of British sport as _ the achievement of all that is best in the sporting traditions of the British race. During these games a council of representatives of Great Britain and the dominions and colonie's decided that similar meetings should be held every four years in be- 1 tween the_ Olympic Games, and also that a British Empire Games Federation should be formed. FEDERATION FORMED. Accordingly when teams throughout the Empire were gathered, together at the Tenth Olympiad at Los Angeles in 1932, the formation of the British Empire Games Federation was further discussed, and the federation was subsequently constituted. V Later the second Empire Games were allotted to England, and were contested at London and Manchester. The organising control of the Empire Games is vested in the Empire Games Association of the country where the. Games are being held. _ The technical control of the competitive events is vested in the national controlling associations of the various .sports on the programme, with the responsibility to ensure that the events are contested according to the rules and for the appointment of officials. As for the Olympic Games, the definition of the word “ amateur ” is the definition of the International Federation governing that sport. The Empire Gaines are open to any member of the constituent parts of the Commonwealth of the British Empire, and only amateur athletes are eligible for participation. Each contestant

must be a British subject, and either born in the country represented or resident in that country for at least six months prior to the Games. Those who have' already competed for one country in an Empire Games cannot, under any circumstances, represent another country. - ,

NEW ZEALAND’S REPRESENTA-

TION

In the Australasian team at the “ Festival of Empire.” at London, in 1911, the late Ron Opie (Canterbury) was a member, being third in the 100yds track and second in ■ the 220yds track events. Opie that year won the New Zealand 100yds championship in 10 l-10sec, and the 220yds in 22sec. Another New Zealander was Dr Guy Haskins, who made a big name for himself in intercollegiate athletics in the United States. He was also a Canterbury man, and finished third in the one-mile track event. When the Empire Games were held at Hamilton’ in 1930, Otago had four representatives in the New Zealand team, these being R'.- C. Colder, F. Brough, G. B. Johnson, and R. O. Johnson. It may be recalled that Colder injured his back on the trip to Canada, being so affected • that he was able to do scarcely any training. In spite of this terrific handicap, Calder gained fourth place in the springboard fancy diving, ’being beaten for third place by a fraction of a point. The first three places 1 were ■ filled by Canadian diverse .

Brough and G. B. Johnson were oarsmen. Broqgh stroking tho four-oared crew (with cox) which gained first place and. which comprised Brough, V. Olsson (Marlborough), J. MacDonajd (Marlborough), B. M, Sandos (Hamilton), and A. H. Eastwood. (Canterbury as coxswain. The eight-oar crew filled 1 second place and consisted of Brough, Olsson, MacDonald, Sandos, J. Gilhy (Canterbury). F. H. Thompson (Canterbury),* C. ■E. Saunders (Marlborough), and E. Al. Waters (Hamiltoii). with Eastwood coxswain. A four-oar crew (without cox) gained third place, consisting 'of Olsson, Saunders,- Ross, and G. B. Johnson. R. O. Johnson competed in the pole vault and hop, step, and jump, the other athletes being' J. W.. Savidan (who won the six miles in the Empire Games’ and Canadian record- time of 30min 49 3-ssec); S. A- Lay (who won the javelin, throwing with an Empire Games’ and Canadian record of 207 ft Ijin), and A. J. Elliot (who was third in the 100 and 220yds Heats and was unplaced in the finals). Savidan and Elliot were Auckland representatives, and Lay represented West Coast (North Island).

Two _ swimmers were included—Miss G. Pidgeon (New Zealand ladies’ breast stroke . champion and ’ record holder at that time), and Gordon Bridson '(whose, times for 440yds and 880 yards men’s free style still stand .as New Zealand records).. Both, came from Auckland; and Miss Pidgeon was sixth in the 20Qyds ladies’ breast stroke event, Bridson .being second in the- 440 an® l,sooyards, and second in his heat of the 100yds, being unplaced in the final.

Four bowlers—' W, Fielding (Wellington), H. Frost (Auckland), E. Leach CHawera), and P. M'Whannell (Wellington)—were included,. Fielding and M'Whannell being second in the pairs,, and Fielding third in the singles. The team competed in 17 events, securing three firsts, four seconds, and two thirds,

EMPIAD IN LONDON. The team for . the British Empire Games at London in 1934 consisted of seven men three athletes (J. E. Lovelock, H. K. Brainsby, and T. G, Broadway),, three swimmers (N. Crump, w. Whareaitu, and L. Smitn), and one cyclist (F. Grose). A. bowling team, consisting of Hi Grocott, W. W. Dillicar, G. G. Pollard, and G. Carter (skip) was also sent by the New Zealand Bowling Association. _ Lovelock enhanced his already brilliant record. by winning the mile in the Empire Games’ ; record time of 4min 12 4-ssec. Brainsby was third in the hop, step, and jump, won by J. P. Metcalfe with 51ft 3im, an Empire Games’ record, and only 3Jin short of the world’s record. Brainsby lost second place to S. Richardson ('of Canada) by liin, and was most unfortunate to do so, as his last jump--only just a “ no-jump’’—was fully a foot better than Richardson’s best, about 49ft. The Auckland man competed in the long jump, and despite a bruised heel just failed to find _ a place in the last six. He did 21ft .6Jiri, and was officially placed seventh among some 18 competitors. Broadway (Canterbury) was unplaced in the preliminary heats ’ of both the half-mile and the quartermile, being obviously right) off form. L. Smith (Wanganui) was second in his heat of the 200yds breast stroke, and unfortunately just failed to qualify as one of the two fastest losers. W. Whareaitu (South Auckland) finished only fourth in his heat of the 100yds back stroke, and Crump qualified for the final of the 100 yd» free style, swimming second in his heat and being one of the two fastest losers. Owing to the arrangement of the programme he had to withdraw from the heats of the 440yds, but he swam third in the final of the 100yds free style, an erratic course costing him second place. The three swimmers qualified comfortably for the final of the medley relay by swimming into third place as they liked, but the best they could do was a fifth in the final, in which Smith made a really fine effort. If Smith had swum in his individual events as he did in the relay he would have got a very sound plape. Grose competed in all three events of the cycling programme, these being decided on the Fallowfiela track. The Canterbury representative was the most consistent performer of the meeting, and was unlucky not to gain a major place. He secured three fourths, and to reach the final of the I,oooyds had to ride in no less than five separate races at this distance.