Overseas Athletes

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 114, 17 May 1938, Page 5

Overseas Athletes

TOURS OF NEW ZEALAND No further tours of the Dominion by foreign athletes are contemplated in the near future, according to views expressed at last month's meeting of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Council in Wellington. This decision is one effect of the heavy loss suffered as the result of the visit by th% Japanese athletes Murakoso and Togami.

If nothing concrete arises out of the proposal to institute biennial meetings with Australia, then it is certain that an endeavour will be made to secure a visit by an Australian team, says a southern writer. At the present time thero are some remarkably fine performers in Victoria and New South Wales. G. Backhouse and J. Mumford ar« two whose names come readily to mind. Backhouse runs a very solid halfmile and brilliant mile. An unorthodox athlete, there is an elan about his running which would appeal to New Zealanders. Mumford can tackle anything from 100yds to a quarter of a mile, and will be an even greater runner in the future than he is now. S. G. Stcnner is another who would appeal to those who admire a fine hurdler. He ran no worse than 14£s in the final of the 120yds at the Empire Games. The council might bo averse to the importation of a woman athlete, but Miss Decirna Norman, of Western Australia, would most certainly add to the attraction of any tour.