TABLOID SPORTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24737, 14 October 1941, Page 10

TABLOID SPORTS

ADOPTED FOR HOME GUARD SUMMER PHYSICAL TRAINING MR R. 0. JOHNSON'S SCHEME An adaptation as a summer course of the tabloid principle of athletics to the requirements of the Home Guard in New Zealand, devised by Mr,R. O. Johnson, the physical welfare officer for Otago, and the area physical instructor for Otago, has been adopted by the Department of Internal Affairs. The intention underlying the scheme is to introduce more recreational activities into the summer syllabus of the Home Guard, with a view to promoting greater physical fitness, and to make the programme more interesting, and a change from the physicr.l drill of the winter. Inter-unit cricket matches and bowling for the older men will also be arranged during the summer months.

It was explained by Mr Johnson yesterday that tabloid sports meetings, modelled on the army pattern, would be arranged, and a series of eight events had been selected which were not too difficult for men who had not been trained as athletes. The best feature of tabloid sports, he said, was that every man took part in all the events, and every man's performance counted for his particular team. The sports required a minimum of organisation, preparation, and .equipment, and the events had been arranged to that end. The whole programme took only about an hour, and the nature of the events was such that the men could take part in them in their ordinary clothes. Tabloid sports were essentially team competitions, and would promote esprit de corps among the respective units. The advantages of the scheme. Mr Johnson added, were that a large number of men were actively engaged in the sports at once, and the number who could take part was practically unlimited, as 200 men could be put through the events in an hour. Home Guard physical instructors who had already been trained would be available for supervising the organisation of the sports meetings as required. A tentative programme for a Home Guard tabloid sports meeting includes a 50 yards' team's sprint, a shot. putt, a standing long jump or hop. step and jump, throwing the hand, grenade (for accuracy), a medicine ball relay, a dis-tance-judging competition, a high jump, and a 60 yards' military obstacle relay, carrying a rifle.