SWIMMING ITEMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22579, 18 November 1936, Page 22

SWIMMING ITEMS

INTER-CLUB RELAY THE FOSS MEMORIAL CUP TEAMS OF SIX SPRINTERS Tho inter-club relay raco of 200 yds. for the Foss Memorial Cup will be contested at the Waitemata Amateur Swimming and Life-saving Club's carnival in the Tepid Baths next Tuesday night. Each competing club will bo represented by teams of six sprinters. Tho cup was won last season by the Mount Eden Club. In defending the trophy this club has made a sporting gesturo to other clubs. So speedy are its best swimmers that, if they were included in the same team, they should win the race by a substantial margin. However, to provide for keen competition, the club is entering two teams and is dividing tho fastest sprinters between each team. A number of handicap events has also been arranged by tho Waitemata Club as follows: 220 yds. open; GO 2-3 yds. men's open; GG 2-3 yds. ladies' open; 100 yds. medley open; 50yds. junior boys; 50yds. junior girls; 50yds. novice; 33 l-3yds. tiny-tot boys; 33 l-3yds. tiny-tot girls, A unique event will be a life-saving race, in which reels will bo employed. Teams .will each comprise three men. a patient, beltman and reelman. WATER POLO POPULARISING THE GAME Although the first match in the water polo competitions was played at the Auckland Centre's carnival last night, tho majority of clubs with teams entered for tho A grade championship have not yet completed the selection of teams. The clubs in this grade are North Shore, Waitemata, Mount Eden and Ponsonby, which will have two teams.

Each season the. Auckland Water Polo Control Board grapples with tho problem of popularising the game, not so much by attracting players, as by fostering it as a spectacle. Water polo carnivals have been organised specially for this purpose, but tho public's response, even allowing for tho pioneering stage, has been very discouraging. Furthermore, the interest of the public has been lukewarm when matches have been played at swimming carnivals. A." soon as the swimming races have been concluded, and before the water polo match has started, a large proportion of the spectators has left the baths A strong reason for this apathy is that, as a rule, carnivals have been continued to such a late hour because of the large number of swimming events. In future, however, water pole will have a fair chance in consequence of the action taken bv tho Auckland Centre. It has resolved that swimming events must not be decided after 10 p.m., and that water polo players must be ready to begin their game not later than 10.15 p.m.