THE PLAYGROUND.

Southland Times, Issue 18975, 23 June 1923, Page 12 (Supplement)

THE PLAYGROUND.

SPORTS AND PASTIMES.

The cableman on the other side of the world must have little to do when he takes to sending messages about the Senegalese boxer’s stunts and n tailing silly stories about the latter as a lion tamer. In boxing, and all sports bodies in this country, Siki would not be permitted to associate with sport. Mr T. Rogerson, who left for the north en route for Sydney on Wednesday with his wife after spending a few weeks in his home town, was tendered a smoke concert by the Southland Boxing Association on Tuesday evening. Mr Rogerson, who was one of the best boxers produced in this part of the world acted as referee at the recent tournament with conspicuous success, the unhesitating manner in which he gave his decisions and controlled the bouts being a feature of his work. The Australian Rules game of football has never before had the following in Adelaide it has at present. It is estimated that the best part of 40,000 people turn out each Saturday to watch the games and when South Australia defeated West Australia a fortnight ago in wretched weather, 31,000 people braved the elements to see the struggle.

Cash running is booming again in Brisbane. A Bananaland sports chronicler says that “ the services have been secured of Arthur B. Postle as handicapper and Jim McGarrigal as starter. Arthur is now in business in Brisbane and although not taking an active part as regards running, looks almost as fit as ever he did. I very much doubt if there are any runners about now who could beat Arthur over 50yds at the present time. He is as fond of the sport as ever. Jim McGarrigal is also in business in Brisbane, and starts the horses at Kedron Park and other courses.

Remarkably fast time was accomplished in a hound trail at Ashby (England), last month when the first dog home covered the distance of ten miles over the fells above Loweswater Lake in 30min 50sec. I At the recent inter-’Varsity Championships at Melbourne, Roy Harbison, one of a well-known family trio of high jumpers, cleared sft 11 Jin; and nothing but the heavy state of the ground saved L. H. Kelly's old record of 6ft 1 3-16 in, says an Australian paper. Cricketer J. W. H. T. Douglas, who was a champion boxer in his younger days, refereed the bout between Roland Todd, the English boxer, who is spoken of as a coming champion, and Augie Raltner, the American, on June 1. Todd won on points. On May 3 at Paris, Charles Paddock, the American amateur sprint champion, cut through 75 metres in the world’s record Ume of 8 2-sseconds. Curiously enough a couple of days later in Paddock’s home country, California, his track companion and the man Paddock has said will succeed him as world’s champion, Eddie Sudden, scampered over the short sprint at the same speedy rate.

A British golf club is “all on edge” when anyone mentions the Y Strad and Pentrych Hunt. The name is a tough morsel in all conscience, but that is not the trouble. The Hunt was out one Saturday recently when the fox made a bee-line for the course and cut straight through it, the Hunt gaily scampering in pursuit, with the result that considerable damage was done to the Third fairway and the eighth green “absolutely devastated,” according to the injured golfers, who say the green will have to be entirely returfed. A few days ago a motor-driver’s license was taken out in Sydney by probably the oldest winner in the world of a long-dis-tance open bicycle road race, says an exchange. The cyclist is Tom Riley, now a sprightly old warrior 70 years of age, who at the age of 56 carried off the trying 48 miles road race from Picton to Ashfield, promoted in 1919 by the Redfern Bicycle Club, in which over 100 sturdy amateurs, most of them young enough to be his sons, competed.

Patterson is understood to be playing miserable tennis just now because he is developing a new backhand stroke (writes a Sydney Bulletin correspondent). He is determined to bring his backhand up to international concert pitch, and is gamely suffering defeat in the process. This is not said in excuse of his recent Sydney walloping by Anderson, who is unquestionably superior at present, but it serves to explain his falling-off in Victoria and Queensland against men who never will be in his class. Patterson is following in the footsteps of the late Anthony Wilding, who, when he found his backhand useless for world-beating purposes, started a new one, and must have suffered much anguish of mind through losing to second-raters while the new shot was growing up. But once he learnt to backhand with his forehand’s precision and deadliness, nothing could stop him, and he was four times champion of the world. If Patterson produces a backhand of equal quality and maintains the same blistering pace of his service and forehand drivers, he may paralyse all opposition next year. It has to be remembered that Anderson, though supreme in most de partments of tennis, is still not a first-class backhand hitter. He has the evil Australian habit of dodging backhand strife by running round to take the ball on his forehand, thereby exposing his weakness to his opponent, and, at the same time, leaving a hole in his defence big enough for a tram to run through.

Last week the unrest in the Dominion •ports world that has been evident for some time was touched upon and instances where the decisions of governing bodies were resented were given, says the Christchurch Star. This week we have had illustration of the fact that in the competitive arena there is a disposition to chafe tinder that authority without which no sjiort can thrive. Without government it has been shown that sport can scrape along for a period, but the time comes when, control being absent, chaos prevails, and then the collapse. There must be discipline in sport if sport is to hold public approval. Competitors who dispute official rulings and abuse and threaten officials who give their services for the sake of sport must be adequately punished. At all costs officials must be protected, otherwise there is the possibility that the time will come when men will refuse to accept positions of responsibility. In the Wairarapa recently, according to published reports, two football referees were subjected to abuse •nd threat by players and the local Rugby Union only penalised the offenders to the extent of ordering one to stand down for four playing Saturdays and the other for one Saturday. The case was one in which much severer punishment should have been imposed and the weakness of the union in not adequately protecting its officials, and others, may result in those officials, and others, declining to act for the future. Nearer home we have the case of a local referee who had ordered two players to leave the ground. At the last meeting of the Rugby Union he reported that he had received anonymous letters, the writer of one suggesting a meeting, probably for some purpose other than that of discussing the justice of the referee’s action.. There is altogether too much of the Bolshevik element in sport, and it will have to be suppressed with a firm hand. When eases can be proved the punishment should be of a nature which will lead those inclined to rebel against authority to entirely reconstruct their views.

SPORT IN CHINA FAR EASTERN OLYMPIADS. SOCCER TEAM FOR MAORILAND. One of the signs of the modernising of the Far East is the increased interest in sport, writes L.A. Cubitt, captain of the 1921 Australian Rugby League team, in an article from Shanghai to the Sydney Sun. It is interesting because of its rapid progress amongst people who before took practically no interest at all in sport, and significant because of its effect on the physical condition of these people, who, owing to the conditions due to modern civilisation, have a tendency to forgo their own natural ways of physical preservation. the desire to participate in sport has spread so rapidly in this part of the world that to-day there is hardly a spot throughout China, Japan and the Philippines where its effects have not been obvious. This new awakening in the Far East is not only helpful nationally for each country, but may be a factor for much good, if properly conducted, in international, interracial and world-wide relations. As far back as 1908 a group of interested foreigners and Chinese set up a programme of a few athletic games, in which some young Chinese had shown considerable interest, and also formed a committee with the idea of stimulating sport in Northern China, and at the same time bringing about a Far Eastern international competition, and early representation at the world's Olympiad. About this time, following the annexation of the Philippine Islands by America, there was developed a growing and genuine interest in this new movement, resulting in the organising of the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation. On receipt of an invitation from the Philippines to enter this organisation, both China and Japan enthusiastically accepted. This was in 1912. Articles of agreement were darwn up, for the purpose of encouraging athletic spirit in each country, and to promote international goodwill. To further help in accomplishing this, championships were decided upon, to be held every two years, in the different countries in rotation.

In accordance with this understanding, the first Far Eastern championships were held in Manila in 1912, the second in Shanghai in 1915, the third in Tokio in 1917, the fourth in Manila in 1919, and the fifth here in Shanghai. The next is to be held in Osaka, Japan, next month. The last Games, 1921, were given to China, but owing to the unsettled state of the country great difficulty was experienced in getting an effective organisation of the country’s sporting quota to oppose the more advanced Japanese and Chinese. However, by the energetic action of • number of enthusiasts, chief of whom was Dr J. H. Gray (who controls all sport here), the work of organising the games and preparing as many Chinese athletes as possible was got under way. It w’as estimated that £7OOO would be required to finance the games and the response on the part of the governments and leading citizens was, on the whole, moat gratifying. A fine site, Honkew Park, was lent by the City Council, and the work of erecting stands could be gone on with. By the time the date of the commencement of the games came round a magnificent enclosure was formed, which still stands. Thus by thorough and sound organising the 1921 Far Eastern Olympiad turned out of a wonderful success.

One of the great surprises was the great crowds of people who flocked to the ground each day. In all it was estimated that 160,000 people viewed the sports durng the six days. To give some idea of the advancement of sport in the Far East, I may mention that just on 400 picked athletes, representing the three countries, contested different events. In adjudging who are the champions, the result rests with the country winning the most championships. It was a keen struggle between China and the Phillippines at the last games. The latter eventually ran out winners by four to three. The three championships won by the Chinese were all in the football line, namely, basket ball, volley ball, and soccer. At the last four Olympiads China has been undefeated at soccer, decisively beating both the Philippines and Japanese on each occasion. The personnel of the side to tour Australia and New Zealand will be almost the same as then.

THE ATHLETIC WORLD TROUBLE BREWING. The recently announced decision of the United States Amateur Athletic Association to prohibit all athletes under its jurisdiction from taking part in athletic competitions outside of the States this year in order to concentrate on the preparation for next year’s Olympic Games is having farreaching consequences and some of this is not of a nature to promote harmony in the athletic world. Charlie Paddock, the great little Californian sprinter, whom New Zealanders narrowly missed seeing last season, announced some time ago that he was going across to Paris to take part in an international universities’ meeting there, and despite the ban of the “heads” the cheerful Californian set out across the Continent with the intention of going over to France. An effort was made to stop him in New York, where he was told that un-

der a reciprocity arrangement he would not be allowed to compete in France, and the news came that Charles had returned to his native heath. However, the news gazettera must have been fooled or else the Easterner got off at the next station, because it is quite clear that he went on to Paris despite the fearsome threats of those at the head of affairs, while there is convincing proof that he was allowed to compete. On May 3 he set a new world’s record for 75 metres, cutting out the distance in 8 2-ssec and also equalled his world’s record for 150 metres in 16 seconds. New York reports are to the effect that a possible war between amateur athletic bodies is threatened as a result of the Amateur Athletic Union announcing that Paddock automatically disqualified himself as an amateur by disregarding the American Athletic Union’s order not to participate in the students’ track meet in Paris.

General Pierce, President of the Collegiate Athletic Association, in a statement, says that Paddock had the student organisation’s sanction to compete, and that, therefore, he can see no objection to his doing so. Lined up with the American Athletic Union is the American Olympic Committee, whilst on the other side are marshalled the Collegiate athletic forces of America and Europe. The American Athletic Union’s order against Americans competing abroad in 1923 was with the purpose of conserving athletes for the coming Olympic Games. Disqualification would probably worry Paddock, but little at the present juncture; he announced at the beginning of the season that it would be his last on the track and he has been running for a good long time now, his most notable years being in 1920, when he won the Olympic Championship, and the following year when he established his remarkable series of world’s records.

The decision referred to here also cuts out swimming tours of prominent Americans to Europe and commenting on this phase of the situation the London Sportsman says:—The fiat issued by the Amateur Athletic Union of America prohibiting all American athletes from taking part in competition outside the United States this year is an astounding declaration, and has aroused keen disappointment and resentment throughout British swimming circles. Last October application was made to the A.A.U. by the New York Women’s Swimming Association for a permit to enable the three American lady champions—Miss Gertrude Ederle, Miss Helen Wainwright and Miss Aileen Riggin—to undertake an extensive tour of Great Britain and Sweden. A month later the Illinois Athletic Club applied for a similar privilege on behalf of John Weissmuller.

Then a few days before sailing the A.A.U. exploded a bombshell by banning all foreign trips on the plea that the athletes were wanted at home to generate interest in next year’s Olympic Games. This is a paltry excuse, for the Americans’ engagements had been made to permit them to be back in the States in ample time to participate in the outdoor championships. A big effort has been made to get the A.A.U. to reconsider their decision. But whatever happens now, there is no possibility of the Yankees making the trip, for those responsible for the arrangements on this side of the ocean have decided to withdraw the invitations, in view of the fact that the Americans are scheduled for their first appearance on May 28, and promoting clubs have threatened to cancel fixtures owing to the short time which will elapse to prepare and organise the galas. The A.A.U. have certainly the right to administer their own laws, but they appear to have placed themselves in a weak position by leaving a decision until the eleventh hour. It is a thousand pities that a decision was not arrived at months ago, for there is but little doubt that the A.S.A. will be compelled to bring up the whole business at the International Federation at Paris on July 13. British swimming clubs —there are 18 involved—are not likely to take such a rebuff without making a pre test.