GOSSIP FROM EVERYWHERE

Northern Advocate, 9 February 1935, Page 2

GOSSIP FROM EVERYWHERE

Judges Hooted. The judges of the 100 yards at the New South Wales amateur track and field championships had the unusual experience of being hooted by a large number of spectators. The heats of this event had aroused much interest, for both T.. E. Hampscn, holder of the championship, and M. Moran, of Botany, had been clocked at 9 9-lOsec in winning their heats. In the final, Hampson and Moran soon got to the front. At the tape Hampson appeared to some of the newspaper men and to other onlookers in line with the tape to bound away from Moran; at the worst, the newspaper critics agreed Hampson earned a dead-heat. But the judges gave their verdict to Moran. This aroused the hooting by spectators. The timekeepers said that the time was 9£sec, which is better than J. A, Carlton’s record. Although the pace was on, spectators doubted that it was quite as fast as that. However, Carlton’s record was not disturbed, for it was decided that the breeze had helped the runners. There is a suggestion that both judges and- timekeepers were excited by the race. * ♦ * Returning to Tennis. Welcoming the i news that Helen Wills-Moody is returning to first-class lawn tennis, S. N. Doust, writing in the “Daily Mail,” recalls her anxiety to equal Mrs Lambert Chambers’ record of seven Wimbledon championships. He questions, however, whether, after her absence, Helen Wills-Moody can stage a comeback. Even if her injury is cured, she may find Dorothy Round, who nearly beat her'in 1933, too fast, and Helen Jacobs too subtle. Nevertheless, if she enters the Wimbledon tournament she will be a firm favourite, * * ♦ • Crawford’s Tennis Title. “Although it was not the best display I have seen from either man it was one of the most exciting matches ever witnessed at Kooyong,” writes Harry Hopman, noted Australian player of lawn tennis, about the rhatch in which Jack Crawford, beating F. J. Perry 2 —6, 6 —4, 6 —4, 6—4, regained the Australian singles championship. “It was made more thrilling by the fact that it was played before the largest tennis crowd Australia has ever had.” * * * * Davis Cup Team. New Zealand has apparently entered a team for this year’s Davis Cup contest, and while it is unlikely to progress very far, it should at least make a rather better showing than it did last year when it went out in the first round to Czechoslovakia (says a Southern writer). The calibre of the New Zealand side was thoroughly representative of our strength, Malfroy, Andrews, and Stedman, as a team could hardly have been improved, but the organisation was poor. Malfroy

and Andrews arrived in Europe only shortly before the contest. Andrews in particular had very little match practice, and under the circumstances the expense incurred! by the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Council was sheer waste. The Dominion team this season will no doubt be the same as last. Malfroy and Stedman are in England, and it is assumed Andrews is also. The cost of transportation and housing will therefore be small: how small will depend upon the draw and the success of the New Zealanders.

“African Olympic Games.” Athletics nowadays are the sport of all the world, and Kenya comes news of an “Arab and African Olympic sports meeting,” which was held on October 13. Presumably it was only local in character, but the performances were by no means bad. The best was a high jump of sft Bin, and among others of respectable quality were the 100 yards (10 3-ssec), 440 yards (55 4-ssec), and 120 yards hurdles (16 3-ssec). The sensation of the meeting was a seven-mile race, which was won by a native policeman called Wachira in a time reported at 34min 58sec. The local Press describes this as “an amazing feat,” and indeed it is, for the world’s record, held by Alfred Shrubb, is 35min 4 3-ssec. One would like to believe it, but as the second man, who finished less than a lap behind, won the three miles in no better than 16min 2 4-ssec, it is fairly obvious that the full distance was not run. The theory that athletic champions are not to be found for the asking among primitive peoples is an old and attractive one, but it does not hold water; Tom Longboat, the Canadian Indian, was the exception that proved the rule. * * * * Reinstatement of Athletes. The Scottish Amateur Athletic Association has been kept busy lately considering many applications for reinstatement of athletes who wish to change from professionalism to amateurism. There has been a steady change-over to amateurism of areas where distinct games for a hundred years past have been wholly professional. \

Confusion In France. The resignation of the French disciplinary commission in Rugby football has considerably increased the confusion in the game in France. By doing its work sincerely the commission was Strengthening the ranks of the rival Rugby League body; as every suspended player of any value was at once signed on by a- League plub. The chairman of the commission that has resigned says:- “The attitude of the federation toward us began to change when the rupture of Rugby relations with Great Britain became definite. There was a wish for us to limit our activities. If fear of Rugby League rivalry had caused us to close our eyes to hidden professionalism we should have been obliged for the same reason to look brutal tactics on the field and rowdy demonstrations by spectators.” What the new French policy will be is not clear (comments an English paper), but it seems certain that France Cannot wholly eradicate professionalism, and that the gulf between British and French Rugby, which the courageous disciplinary Commission tried to narrow, will become wider again. Rugby leaders in Germany, Italy, and other countries on the Continent are closely watching ' the situation. Hidden professionalism has not become a “problem” outside France, and international relations may be affected by the measures the French take to eradicate it. ♦ * * * Condition of Confusion. Discussing the claim for £I2OO which the New Zealand Rugby League has made for transfer fees for six players

(at £2OO each) who have left the Dominion to join clubs iri the English Rugby League lately, a writer in the ‘‘Sporting Chronicle and Athletic News,” which is published in Manchester, says: “No claim can be made for a New Zealand Rugby Union play-, er; but in the Dominion there appears to be a very elastic interpretation of the amateur and professional laws which may lead to some confusion of interests. This, however, is a matter for the Rugby League to decide.” This ambiguous statement may lead to some confusion of ideas. As it is made by a writer on the Rugby League game, it may mean no more than that there appears to be in New Zealand a very elastic interpretation of amateurism and professionalism in the League game. It may not be meant to apply to the Rugby Union game. But the writer should have said clearly what he meant.