ATHLETICS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16711, 22 April 1925, Page 3

ATHLETICS.

FRANCE TO HONOR 3000 ATHLETES. WILL RECEIVE ORDER OF NATIONAL MERIT. Acting on the .suggestion of M. Bemazet, High Commissioner of atlileFrencli Minister of pul>lit*. ilist met ion lias decreed that the athletes and physical education exponents of France shall receive national recognition tor their work. By recently adopted legislation a new organisation has been formed under Government sanction whose award shall be known simply as the Order of National Merit. The medal which will lie given to each member of the order will 1m somewhat like that given to members of the Legion of Honor, but will be mucli smaller. There also will be two classes of awards, one for a chevalier and another for an officer. The medal has been designed, but as no official approval has been announced, its description has not been made known as the Minister of Public Instruction may see lit to have a new design struck. Three thousand athletes will be admitted to membership in the first promotions of the order, the Government has announced. Of this number 2000 will be chevaliers and the other thousand officers. Just, who will be tilc members Is not known, nor can' it be said yet who the officers of the order will be. There are many in Paris who feel that Georges Carpcn--1 ior will be made the senior officer, having twice been honored by the French Government and carrying more decorations for athletic activity than anv other Frenchman.

After the initial promotions are made additions to the order will be made very slowly, the Council of Ministers has announce!. Every eil'ort. will be made to keep the organisation on the very highest plane, and only a- series of deserving acts can gain consideration for an athlete so far as trying to gain the cross' of the order is concerned.

A ‘ ‘ WORLD-BEATER, ’ ’

A. E. PORRITT AS A RUNNER

LONDON, Feb. 25. —“Olympian,” of the Manchester Evening Chronicle, refers to the successes of the New Zealand Rhodes scholar, A. E, Porritt, at recent University sports meetings, and considers that the form he showed “makes him out to be a really great sprinter.” e “He has run at all the short distances on the track, and won,”, the writer continues, reviewing Porritt’s record. “He has won in the short distance low hurdles, he is more than useful in the long jump, and ho has been credited with doing evens in the 100 yards, beating another good runner, AY. E. Stevenson, by 2J yards, lie represented New Zealand ia the Olympic Games last July in Paris. His forward running impressed a lot of experts, but none more than ‘Mick’ Terry, the South African trainer. I remember one afternoon sitting alongside Terry watching the contests’ when Porritt won a particularly fine heat. Terry is, of course, an Australian, and although resident in South Africa, still has a yearning to return home. “In between times he was telling me so, and ho said if ever ho went back and lie had to take a runner with him—lie would hardly dream of going without one —he would like to take Porritt. In Porritt he saw a ‘worldbeater, ’ and I trust Terry’s judgment. He has his eye on the main chance, but I doubt if Porritt has ideas of ever becoming a professional. “Porritt has a personal invitation to go to the United States during the next vacation, and might be accompanied by D. G. A.. Lowe, the Olympic champion and cx-Manchcstcr Grammar School boy, and Lord Burghlcy, the intrepid hurdler. If they go it will be in about three weeks’ time, for he cannot go over with, the Oxford and Cambridge joint team to meet Yale and Harvard in June, and ovir ’Varsity team has accepted the invitation.” At the Lenten sports at Oxford, Lord Burghley won the 120yds. low hurdles, and D. G. A. Lowe the mile and half-mile flat events.

On Thursday afternoon the Allies Athletic and Cycling Club will hold its track championships, afoot and awheel* over 100 yards flat and one mile cycle respectively. In addition, there will be handicaps over 75 yards flat, and one mile awheel. Big fields have been entered, and the veents, which commence at 3 p.m. on the Reserve, should drarv a big attendance.