OUTDOOR GAMES

Northern Advocate, 4 October 1930, Page 12

OUTDOOR GAMES

GOSSIP FROM EVERYWHERE

Mr K. S. Svenson, a former AH Black footballer, who is leaving Wellington to enter business on bis own account at Spring Creek, near Blenheim, was farewelled by the employees of Levin and Co. The regret which the staff felt at losing such a popular felloAv employee Avas expressed by Mr L. Goldfinch, Avho also Avished Air Svenson the best of luck. Ho presented Mr Svenson Avith a silver tea and coffee service from the staff. Mr Svenson expressed his deep appreciation of the remarks that had been passed and the memento he had received.

Norman Gillespie and Johnny Leckie have an engagement at Napier tonight. Gillespie now fights at about S)st 41b, and there should be very little difference in the weights betAveen the pair when they enter the ring. As featherweights tho tAvo provided a great fight in Dunedin two years ago, when Leckie took a close decision. Gillespie expresses himself confident that he can avenge this defeat, and Napier enthusiasts should Avitnoss a first-class contest.

Both Johnny Leckie and Tommy Donald have signified their willingness to face one another again at Napier on Ist November with the featherweight title at stake. The arrangements have not, as yet, been finalised, as Donovan's appearance is conditional on the consent of the Grisborne Association being obtained. The Gisborne authorities were in the field for the bout, and apparently obtained Donovan's agreement, but Leckic would not sign, and it is understood that Gisborne are now looking for another opponent for Donovan, If they succeed it is a questin as to whether they will change their date in favour of Napier,

After a lengthy spell, Ted Morgan has at last got another chance to show his true form, for on 6th November he will meet Beg Trowern at Wihangarei. The first time the pair met was at Greymouth, when a draw was the verdict, while the soeond encounter at Gisborne, when Morgan was disqualified, provided, something in the nature of a cause celebre in New Zealand boxing. Trowern will have to be in his very best form on the night if he hopes to sliade the Wellington boy, who is particularly keen to make a good fight.

The tactics which Tom Alley employed in his last bout with Kara Pasha have brought Gus iSonnenberg's famous flying tackle much into the limelight, but contrary to the general impression butting the head into the pit of an opponent's stomach is not a flying tackle. Certainly, Sonnenberg, the first man to use a form of the American football tackle in a wrestling ring, resorts to plain butting on accasions, and.as a result he has been termed the “Billy Goat.” Sonnenberg was a star at American football, and the story goes that he was “dared” into the ring by some of his friends because of his disparaging remarks about the wrestlers in a certain match. He did not know what to do when he got into the ring, so fell back on his old football dive. Ho won the match in 90 seconds. Sonnenberg's method is to dive with the shoulder striking the T)ody below the heart. The staggering opponent is then gripped by the thigh and brought down for a body press- Some wrestlers predict that some day the champion will go out of the ring and break his neck. He himself seems to be alive to that risk, for lie is not using the tackle so much as he did. In addition, he has learned a good deal since reaching the front rank, and is shrewd enough to know that the more he uses it the better chance will the others have to work out a defence against it. He has already felt what it is like to be side-stepped or to crash against a knee or a hip. So, while showing opponents early in a bout that the deadly tackle is there when wanted, he now goes in for more of the well-known forms of attack. But when the way is clear for his winning dive, there arc no half measures about it. But his method of attack mot with extraordinary success chiefly because it- was a novelty. It, like other -sensational winners, will be countered in time, and then the present champion's redgn will end, Sonnenberg is 30, and a short, thick sot follow, with a big torso, .short nock, and small head. Ho stands lift Tin and weighs round about 14st 91b. Ho is tough and strong; with groat powers of endurance.

A wrestling match between Pat McGill and Howard Cantonwine in Newcastle ended in an unusual wav. McGill, when underneath, smacked his opponent three times on the back. Taking it for the referee’s signal, Canton wine released his grip, and was promptly pinned. The fall, the only one of the match, was allowed by the referee.

Much interest will be taken in the initial appearance here of the two American athletes, who have, taken up residence in Dunedin, and who will be here for some months at least. They are Arthur Sijvester and James "Webster, and it is claimed for Silvester that two years ago on a, cinder track he ran 300 yards in 10 l-ssce, cleared oft llin in the high jump, and threw the discus 110 ft. Webster, it is reported, has been credited Avith 0 4-osee for 100 yards on the cinder track, and has thrown the discus 100 ft. These performances also being registered two years ago. It remains to be seen what they can do under local conditions, hut the captain of the Anglican Club, with which the newcomers have joined iip, says that only recently Silvester cleared sft 9in in the high jump, which would be good enough to win the New Zealand championship on many occasions. If he can repeat that performance he is going to give the field side of athletics here another big fillip.

It is understood that the Begum Aga Khan is to set up a racing establishment in France. No doubt she has been fired by the success of her husband on the turf. The lady’s registered colours are to be green and' white.

Polo has hitherto been mostly regarded as exclusively a “he-man’s” game, but women are playing it more and more spiritedly in England now. Experienced men polo-ists have been astonished by the skill, vigour, resource, and riding tactics displayed by the women. Many of those who have taken to polo learnt their riding in the hunting field. Women in England still ride in early Victorian “side-saddle” style—but not in the polo field.

Mary Milne, who with sfc, won the high jump in the women’s international match between England and Germany at Birmingham, is only 16 years old. Last when representing England against Germany, she had the distinction of being the youngest international of either sex that any country has so far produced. f-m '