INDIAN HOCKEY TEAM

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19584, 16 March 1938, Page 10

INDIAN HOCKEY TEAM

THIS SEASON’S VISIT t ARRIVAL IN MAY 16 PLAYERS ON TOUR Considerable progress was made, at a meeting of the management committee of the New Zealand Hockey Association in the arrangements for the tour of the Indian hockey team during the coming season.

Three air-mail letters were received from the Manavadar State Hockey Association, India, which is organising the Indian team. Confirmation, was received that His Highness the Nawab of Manavadar, who is the ruling prince of the state, would accompany the team as captain. Two other leading players in India who would be included were M. Hussein and Shahabuddin, both of whom were members of the 1935 Indian team which visited New Zealand. Invitations also had been extended to other leading players in India, and it was expected that the selection of the team would be completed at an early date. A request was received from Manavadar that the team be increased from 16 players to 20 players, the reasons being the length and strenuous nature of the tour and also the long distance from India.

Mr. P. N. Quartermain moved that a cable message be sent to India expressing regret that the New Zealand association could not agree to the suggestion to increase the team to 20 players, as the extra expense involved would be prohibitive; and that 16 playing members, in addition to the manager, would be adequate for the tour. In seconding the motion, Mr. H. E. Bell said it would not be satisfactory to overload the team with unnecessary players, and he considered that a cable message should be sent immediately. The motion, was carried. The secretary reported that it was expected that the Indian team would arrive at Wellington on Wednesday, May 11, and would sail from Auckland on Tuesday, July 26, but that confirmation of this was still awaited from India. It was decided to cable Manavadar asking for a definite reply.

Three Test Matches

On behalf of the sub-committee set up to make the New Zealand arrangements for the tour, Mr. W. H. Down presented a report recommending that three test matches be played, to be controlled by the New Zealand Hockey Association, and that the other matches of the tour be sold to associations requiring them on the same financial terms as applied to the previous Indian tour, \Vith the exception that a reduction of £SO be made for the King’s Birthday match, June 6, for which a much higher amount was charged last tour than for any of the other days. The committee also recommended that associations receiving matches should be responsible for the board and entertainment of the Indians while they were in such association’s territory.

Mr. H. Tlirop moved that the test matches be played at Wellington, Christchurch, and Auckland. It was further decided that the closing dale for applications for matches against the Indian team be March 31, with half the application money to be paid by April 14 and the remainder by April 39. A cable message was received from the Australian Hockey Association requesting 'permission to play matches with the Indian team en route to and from New Zealand, and, if possible, the arrangement of a short tour of one of the Australian states. It was decided to advise Australia that until further Information was received from India it was not possible to arrange any further matches for the visitors.