HOCKEY TOUR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23115, 13 August 1938, Page 24

HOCKEY TOUR

INDIAN TEAM'S VISIT CONTEST AGAINST AUCKLAND MATCH AT EDEN PARK TO-DAY Great interest will centro in the hookey contest between Auckland and the Princo of Manavadar's touring team at Eden Park to-day. The visitors were met at Auckland station on their arrival by the Rotorua express yesterday afternoon by members of the Auckland Hockey Association, and proceeded to the Auckland. With a promise of fine weather tho open play of tho visitors should bo seen to its finest advantage, especially as Auckland has a team which should furco tho visitors to give of their best. India was easily successful in . winning the hockey at tho Berlin Olympic Gaines and there are several members of that team in tho present side, which compares favourably with the best India can produce. Athletic events and a display of physical drill will provide interesting preliminaries to the main contest. Following aro tho teams:— AUCKLAND Goal.—M, Wattam. Fullbacks.—ll. Jones, F. Clark. Halfbacks. —C. Stewart, R. Robertson. L. Watson. Forwards. —W. Armstrong, G. Rowe, R. Houghton, L, Wyatt. F. Weilbpurno (captain). INDIAN TEAM The Indian team will be chosen from the following players:— Goal. —B. Abrahams. Fullbacks.—S. M. Hussain (captain), Fasahat Yar Khan, Gurnarain Singh. Halfbacks.—Shahnoor Khan, A. Qavi, M. Yaliya, Qurrashi. Lajpat Rai. Forwards. —Shahabuddiu, M. Ahmad Khau, M. Sultan Khan, S. M. Sulainian, i Abdul Latif, L>. P. Fernandez, Feroz K ban. All-rounder.—Shafat Khan. NO REFUSAL TO PLAY CONDITION OF GROUNDS An emphatic denial of a report last week which stated that Professor Jagan Nath, manager of tho Prince of Manavadar's Indian team, had said he would refuse to field a team if any ground was not in a fit condition was given last night by Mr. S. BurncM Browne, representative of the New Zealand Hockey Association travelling with the visiting team. It was pointed out by Mr. Browne that full authority had been vested in him by tho New Zealand Hockey Association to cancel any match where tho ground was really unplayable. After tho Wairoa match, which was contested in really unplayablo conditions. Mr. Browne telephoned tho headquarters of tho New Zealand Hockey Association in Christchurch, reporting tho adverso weather conditions which prevailed, and which were forecast to co.itinne. Me was then given full power to abandon any game if he was satisfied that ground conditions did not permit of hockey being played. "Professor Jagan Nath has at all times been most anxious to fulfil all engagements, both on and off tho field, in order that the public maj not be disappointed and that tho best interests of hockey may bo served," said Mr. Browne. "The weather at Gisborne was so atrocious that play was entirely impossible. Although the decision was witheld at tho express request of Professor Jagan Nath up to an hour before the game was due to start, the weather showed no signs of improvement and I, as the representative of the Aew Zealand Hockey Association, had no hesitation in declaring the gamo abandoned. Actually, the conditions were so extreme two hours before the advertised starting time that, had it not been for the request of Professor Jagan Nath, I was prepared to abandon the gamo then ' CRICKET MATCH AUCKLAND TO MEET INDIANS A special cricket match will bo contested during the week-end between a team of Auckland hockey players and a side representing the Prince of Manavadar's Indian team. Following is the local team:—T. Clark L. Monteith, V. Sale, F. Clark, E. Watts, D. McCormick, N. Corin. H. Watts, R. Roughton, h. Wyatt, G. Rowe.