ATHLETICS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 15 September 1926, Page 2

ATHLETICS

TOUR OF AMERICAN TEAM

MEETING AT HAWERA PROPOSED

(BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 14. The sub-committee appointed 1 by the council of the New Zealand 1 Amateur Athletic . Association* in connection with the proposed visit to the Dominion this season of an American athletic team lias lost no time in getting to work. Already members of the subcommittee have drawn uip a tentative itinerary for the tour and the required guarantees necessary from the various athletic centres in the country.'

Two of the athletes to be asked to tour 'New Zealand are, firstly; an allrounder, namely,. Harold Osiborne, Olympic decathlon winner; and! a sprinter for 200 yards and 1 440 yards events, to be selected! by the council’s representative in America, Mr C. G. Krogness. Should Osborne not be available, the sub-committee will be guided! in its final decision by the American representative. It is suggested that the two athletes leave Vancouver by the Aorangi on, December 15 or thereabouts, and arrive in Auckland" on January 3 or 4, 1927. The sidHCommittee’s suggestion in regard to guarantee money is as follows: Wellington, £200; Canterbury, £100; Auckland, £100; Otago, £75; Wanga-nui-West Coast . £75; Gisborne (which is being treated as a separate centre), £SO. These guarantees are required to be remitted! to the council before the tour is finally arranged. Profits from the tour are to be utilised as follows: The guarantees throughout New Zealand are first of all to be repaid; secondly, 75 per cent of the remainder is to be divided pro rata; among the centres, according to the net profits earned by the various centres; and the other 25 per cent is to go to the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association. The team will reach Auckland on January 3, and its competing dates, as suggested, are: January 15, at Hamilton; January 22, at Auckland; January 26, at Napier or Hastings; January 29, at Gisborne; February 2, at Palmerston North; February 5, at Wanganui; February. 9, at Haiwera; February >2, at Wellington; February 16, at Ashburton or Timaru; February 19, at Dunedin; February 23, at Invercargill; February 26, at Christchurch; March 2, at Masterton; March 5, at Wellington; March 9, at Rotorua; March 12, at Auckland. The team will leave Auckland for Vancouver on March 15. A copy of the details of the proposed tour has been sent out to the various centres for consideration.

ENGLISH ATHLETES PREFERRED WELLINGTON, Sept. 14. To-night’s meeting of the Wellington Centre of the Amateur Athletic Association, while being in accord -with the proposal to invite some American athletes to New Zea.landi, got up in arms at the governing body’s Tack of initiative in endeavouring to arrange a. tour of English athletes, and severely criticised the dilly-dallying method® and attitude of the New Zealand Association in the matter.

The question of .guarantee'was also discussed. While some thought the guarantee required (£200) from Wellington was unfair, in the general discussion which followed, while it was stated that this amount was a large one, it' was pointed out that it was no use jeopardising the scheme for the sake of £SO. It was eventually agreed to pay the contribution and express regret that the tour of English athletes hadi*not been arranged.