AMATEUR ATHLETICS

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 28 January 1933, Page 8

AMATEUR ATHLETICS

ALSO PROFESSIONALISM RUNNING FOR CASH NEW ZEALANDERS WHO HAVE ‘ ‘ TURNED OVER” (By ‘'Physical Culturist.’.’) Thus W. P. Ingram in the "New Zealand Sportsman: "More freak handicapping! At Napier recently women were receiving as much, as 18 yards ini a race of 100 yards. -It is making a burlesque of a race when competitors receive as much as this in a. sprint. The remedy is to grade the athletes.” Evidently ridiculous limits are given in other centres than Hawera. In this Writer’s opinion the amateur sports limit over all distances could be considerably reduced. No scratch man, or woman, should be asked to give more than 13 yards in 100, 24 yards; in 220, 35 yard's in 440, 65 yards in 880* and 125 yards iu a mile; otherwise the races should be graded. - Clubs with a strong active membership could doubtless adopt the grade system, but, unfortunately, outside the city centres the present system, the writer is afraid, would have to . remain. He is well aware that a big space of daylight is necessary between to bring some scratch and limit runners into line. However, no sport worth his salt would expect an unlimited amount of start to ; entice him to compete. Apart from the athletes themselves the public must be considered, many of whom are very discerning. From remarks passed in the crowd it would appear that they at least would prefer to see class in place of numbers in a race.

PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES. Doubtless the present depression has a lot to do with the formation of professional clubs. Wherever red blood is, so there will be sport. When money is plentiful and jobs are easily found, amateur athletics are easily kept going —'but with work scanty and money scarce the professional is bound to flourish. There is no reason why the cash clubs and amateur meetings should not be conducted amicably side by .side ; the one should be au aid to the other. Gisborne has returned, to professionalism, running regular weekly meetings, as well as an amateur meeting, which was postponed to the Monday owing to the weather. The "New Zealand Sportsman” _says that professional athletics are getting a good hearing in Southland, where a regular circuit of meetings has been held. Geddes, the ex-All Black, has been 1 -reaping quite a harvest, and others ate thinking of following his example and making the l best of the opportunities of receiving cash. Geddes won £25 on January 2. Wally Preston, the New Zealander, is doing well in professional athletics iu Australia. Competing a't the Echnea meeting on Boxing Day, Preston won the SSO yards and one mile races from the 'back mark. The short race was worth £2O prize money to. the winner and the mile was worth £l4. He thus won £34 in addition to any betting money that he could pick up. His time for the half was 1.57 off 16 yard's and he was timed to do 4.20 off five yards in the mile. , GOOD DISTANCE MEN.

•Rose or Alex Campbell at a mile. True, when Rose and Bayne have met they have-won turn about. However, the writer contends that Rose has never be'en himself since his ill-fated trip away in search of Nurmi. Neither; mi the writer’s opinion, has JJayne. bfeen : given the opportunity to rise to his best form. Par some time he has .been- at cross-purposes with the powers-Ihat-bo and for some time he was out of work. ~W,hen an athlete is sailing close to the bread and butter lino it is not • conducive to. forirn.

There are some authorities that' consider that Bayne is the best miler produced in New Zealand, with the,exception of Randolph Rose. However,' "wheni such an assertion is made, the "writer must ibreak ■ a ..lahtoe.- .(Randolph has no' greater'admirer 1 thaii.' he, 'bu!t ' when, it comes to the best, old' Alex Campbell has to be reckoned with and the late Bill; Huckstepi r 1 ‘-Eccentric Bill” was not far 'behind. However, Bayne is a good miler and the amateurs’ loss is the professionals’ gain. BEWARE OP THE RINGER. There is one thing the professional clubs. can guard against these days and; that is the ped. who attempts to ringin; the registration of peds. practically prevents this. In the bad old days it was not' sb, and many a favourite for a race has been beaten by a mug who, it transpired, when too late, hadjbeenl a '"ringer.” . ■ , At the sports the other evening some old-timers were exchanging reminiscences. Among them were some of incidents which have from time to time, appeared in these columns. One of those interested chipped in, with:— 7 "You talk about. McKenzie with- tthe : whiskers and,other tales, but did yoU ever, hear this. It happened in the good 1 eld days, when foot-running and the bookies flourished ■in the bush towns and the ringtails and steiwpots were as plentiful as writs and unpaidbills are at present. A man,. now. a farmer in the west district of Victoria, although not up to the Postle. or McManus standard, was fleet of foot. He entered, at a distant sports meeting for the maiden and. handicap. At the start; of the maiden, when the starter .fired ' the gun, he jumped around and yelled; ‘What the Sam Hill was that?’ ‘ Strath/. said the starter, ‘haven’tyoU over run before?’ ‘Yes,’ said Jack; tat a picnic, but they always started*- by dropping a hanky.’ The incident was a great joke among the books, and punters till the "handicap came on the bill. Jack was at good odds, which his cobber had a good helping of. This . time he didn’t dwell 1 on the mark. He beat .the gun. and won pulling up.”