THE PLAYGROUND.

Southland Times, Issue 19690, 24 October 1925, Page 18

THE PLAYGROUND.

Sports and Pastimes.

ITEMS OF INTEREST. George Dickinson the fast bowler from Otago included in the N.Z. team for Australia is a ‘’dual” All Black. He visited Australia with the New Zealand Rugby team in 1922. Stanislaus Zbyszko, veteran Polish Wrestler, won two out of three falls from Andreas Cost ano, Spaniard at ’Frisco. His first fall was in 34min with a reverse headk»k, and the last one in 7min 9sec with a hammerlock. Costano took the second in fimin sCteec with a hip roll. A unique use of running ability was exercised by L. Richardson South African distance champion recently. A rush to peg out claims on a new diamond field at Tomlinson’s Farm, near Bloemhof took place and Richardson undertook to peg out a claim on behalf of a disabled ex-serviceman. A run of many miles had to be done. He was successful in accomplishing his purpose in time.

Joe St-eteher claimant of the world's heavy-weight wrestling championship, successfully defended the claim at Los Angeles by defeating Goho Gobar the huge Hindu, in two straight falls. The Hindu was pos■ereor of much weight and strength, but was unable to cope with the skill of the title claimant. Stetcher took both falls with body scissors, the first ending in 47Amin and the second in 11 Amin. Helen Filkey, an American girl who, three years ago, went from Chicago to California to recuperate from a serious illness recently created three new records for women athletes, in track and field events. Mist Filkey did in 11 2-ssec, the 60yds high hurdles in 18 3-lOsec, and cleared 17ft in the broad jump. She gives the credit for her performances to her trainer, but is herself training two younger sisters whom she hopes to develop into world-beaters. Dr. Arnold Perry, the Otago University and New Zealand International stand-off half, who will be Haying regularly in metropolitan rugby this season, says Sporting Life, has secured an appointment at London Hospital and will begin his duties in October. Dr. Perry is a player of the highest class, and as both he and Dr. R. L. Raymond will be available for London Hospital in the games for the Hospitals Cup, interest in this annual event will be greater than ever. At present Dr. Perry is in Edinburgh studying for his F.R.C.B. degree. It was announced some time ago that Georges Carpentier had retired from the ring for all time, but it is now said that he is going over to America, apparently to search for more American dollars. Why he should have his appetite for these rewhetted (says an English paper) it is

not particularly easy to say, though it is just possible that the United States demand for a settlement of French indebtedness may have suggested to Georges that it would not be a bad plan to collect some more American money for the purpose of helping to foot the bill. A large number of the competitors who took part in the Ashburton to Christchurch amateur road race were under twenty. Some of them in fact were mere boys round about fifteen years of age. This raises the question whether it is good for a boy of fifteen or a bit older to pedal all the way from Ashburton to Christchurch, especially if there is a head wind blowing. Cycling is by no means an easy sport, and boys are apt to overstrain themselves and do themselves an injury that may tell on them in after life. The Royal Air Force has decided to follow the example set by the Army, and abandon professionalism in boxing. Henceforth the aim of the Airmen's Boxing Association will be to become a purely amateur body. This decision has been arrived at by means of a postal note, but while advocating the change-over to amateurism, the RAJ. boxing committee does not propose to stop the professional altogether, because it considers it would be unfair in view of the encouragement given in the past to professional boxers in the Service. Walter Landrum, the billiards player, has the game in his blood, for his father was a champion player, and his older brother, Fred, also has made world’s records. Lindrum himself, although he has lost a certain amount of his skill, is still a great player. It is regretted that so far he has not decided to match himself against the prominent players in England. Lindrum is a native of Western Australia; he was born on the goldfields in the “roaring 90’s.” Mr C. D. Paterson, president of the Surf Life-Saving Association of Australia, who recently returned to Australia after a nine months’ world tour, has plans for a shark net, designed by the British naval authorities on the torpedo net system, which is expected to be adaptable to the local surfing beaches, and which should prove an effectual bar to the shark menace.

Harry’ Wills may never get his chance with Jack Dempsey, but there is one of his own race in America, who will box him any time if he will but give the word. He is George Godfrey, a negro of huge dimensions, whom his manager, James Bougherty, believes is the best heavy-weight in the world, with the exception of Dempsey. Godfrey recently made a sad mess of *Tiny” Herman’s 17st, and Southern California is rating him as a better fighter than Wills, who is being called upon to meet him in defence of the heavy-weight championship of the coloured races. R. T. (“Bobby”) Jones, who recently won the American amateur golf championship. has, at the comparatively early age of twenty-three, attained an enviable position. There is but one blot on a wonderful record. In 1921 he went to England and competed in the Amateur Championship at Hoylake, and the Open event at St. Andrews, but in both he failed ignominiously. He was beaten in the fourth round of the Amateur, and at St. Andrews he tore up his card after completing two rounds. Since then, however, he has done great things. The following year he tied for second place in the American Open; in 1923 he won the title, whilst last year he won the Amateur Championship for the first time in his career, and was runner-up in the Open. International sport, like most other affairs in fife worth anything, has no easy road to travel (says an American writer). There are sure to be knots, snarls, tangles, and complications. The charges against Nurmi over here and the charges against Paddock and Murchison are only part of the complications. There is always rising doubt of unmarked amateur cleanness when competitors travel thousands of miles and keep at it month after month. Amateurs who take six months a year off and travel half way round the world, getting their living from the game as they go, are pear the borderline, if not over. But there are both sides. The international improvement between Great Britain and the United States has been great. A conference of United Kingdom football associations in Liverpool considered the practice of the Australian association in allowing players who received payment in respect of lost wages and broken time to retain their amateur status. It was decided to ask the English fo-.ball association, with which the Australian association is directly affiliated, to direct the Australian association’s attention to the fact that the practice is not in accordance with the rules of the United Kingdom associations. David Denton, the little stalwart of Yorkshire cricket 20 years ago, when asked about the reason for the lack of fast bowlers in

English cricket, replied tersely: “Why are there no first-class bowlers? Because men would sooner work ia the pit. It’s hard labour.” And so it is, on six days a week.

The lack of tepid baths in Wellington (says the New Zealand Times> has been quoted as an excuse for not producing better swimmers and more champions, but has the Wellington Centre made full use of the facilities to hand? Although individual members have offered to do spade work amongst the boys in the way of coaching, the Wellington Centre appears to have been lacking in “ginger” so far as organising. instruction classes is concerned, for girls as well as boys. The boy of to-day is the possible champion of to-morrow, and the association should recognise the fact. This is how a country paper reported

the chairman of the Wellington Rugby League at a social to the Queensland players:—“The New Zealand Rugby Union |sent a team to England last year, and we I have seen by the papers that a net profit lof £21,000 was made on the tour, and (that not a penny of it came home to New I Zealand. Why was that? Simply because ! the tour was not run on ‘fair-dinkum’ busi- ■ nesslike lines. If our team goes Home next ! year and a net profit of £42.000 is made, | £21,000 of it will come back to New Zealand to help the game along here.” If it does there will be financial wizardry somewhere. . Eddie Williams, who played for Wales against New’ Zealand at Swansea, when the All Blacks took sweet revenge for the single defeat suffered by the 1905 tourists, has turned to the professional code, and is now wearing the jersey of the Huddersfield Leaguers. He is twenty-ftve years of age, and is very light for an international player, weighing barely 10 st-one. He got his Wales cap just prior to the New Zealand test at Swansea, and was one of the successes of the Welsh side, which mainly comprised veterans of the game who had not the speed and stamina to meet the All Blacks.

That the universities overseas have gone mad on sport is one of the conclusions formed by Sir Ernest Bain, of Leeds University who recently returned from a visit to universities in Canada and the United States. In a lengthy report he says in practically every university the stadium was pointed out with emphasis, the master of sport has a very comfortable position and the tremendous emphasis placed on sport is causing university authorities in America grave anxiety. “I heard of one case,” he said, “where a town’s butcher had been enrolled as a member of the university because he had exceptional ability as a footballer.” It is quite possible that a Maori Rugby team will be seen in Europe next season says the London Sportsman. The Maori Advisory Board, which, at the direction of the New Zealand Rugby Union, is studying the interests of Maori footballers, is endeavouring to arrange for a tour in France, in which some fifteen matches would be played, and then for a few games in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. The visit would not clash with the appearance of France in New Zealand which it is conI fidently expected will take place in 1927. How the suggestion will be received by the , International Board over here remains to ibe seen, but we rather imagine that an- | other combination will not be seen I in this country for several seasons. Charlie Paddock and Lcren Murchison, , the famous American athletes, have filed I their expenses accounts for their recent i world’s tour, which is the subject of an inI quin- with the A.A.U. of the United States, 1 and it shows that they received, roughly, | £950 and spent another £250. The first- | named sum seems rather colossal, but the , American authorities are going carefully ’ into the accounts, and will doubtless rej port. Meanwhile the New lork Athletic i Club, whose members won many American championships at the annual meeting last July, is planning a tour of England, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Germany, France, and Italy. How much is that to cost (asks Sporting Life), and are English clubs which may not pay expenses to English athletes, entitled to pay the expenses of ethers? Perhaps the president of the New York A.C. who is said to be making arrangements for the tour, can enlighten our home athletes who might like to know’. Billiard enthusiasts had the champions, Walter Lindrum and Claude Falkiner, with them in Adelaide during the first week in September. They were treated to a splendid exhibition. The match was 7000 up, and was played in Alcock’s new billiard hall in Grenfell street. Attendances were good during the week, but, considering the standard of the play, they should have been larger. Lindrum played in his best form, and (says an exchangel during the last two days always held Falkiner. The final scores were; Lindrum 7001, Falkiner 6287. Lindrum and Falkiner were fresh from their

Dr. R. J. Honner, of Sydney, who won the long jump at the recent English championship meeting, writes to an Australian paper: Arthur E. Porritt, the New Zealander, is now a very polished runnerone of the great stylists of the world. He is ever cool and consistent, and apparently always fit, though now in training for seven months. In an afternoon at Stamford Bridge, in handicaps and scratch events, he will often run five races three of them 9$ sec and two in lOsec, and from his fast, even beginning to his very determined finish it is hard to fault h'm. Unfortunately he, Lowe and Lord Burghley were in American when the A.AA. championships were held. Pcrritt has been elected president of the Oxford Univerity Athletic Club, the highest honour within its gift.

America’s high jumper, Harold M. Osborn, is 26 years of age, weighs 175 pounds, and is described as a blonde. He was born in Butler, Illinois. His father was athletically inclined, and was very good at the standing broad jump. Two elder brothers were good athletes in high school. His best performances are stated to be:— High jump, 6ft 8 15-16 in; javelin, 180 ft; 120 vards hurdles, 15 2-fwec; discus, 133 ft; long jump, 23ft s Jin; shot put, 40ft Bin; pole jump, 12ft; hop, step, and jump, 46ft 9fin. He has won several American championships. He is fond of swimming and golf, and is inclined to motor racing. He declares he hopes to compete in athletics for another four years, and then he may think about taking up coaching. His particular style of “high jumping” is perhaps contrary to rules, for the rule does say that buttocks must not be higher than the level of the head when crossing the bar. Fifty years ago on August 25, Captain Webb swam the English Channel, and to celebrate the jubilee of the event some of those who have also succeeded in accomplishing the feat, together with a number of Channel swim aspirants, gathered round the Webb memorial on Dover seafront on the date mentioned. Mr Alfred Jonas, founder of the memorial, organised the gathering, and among those present were the Mayor of Dover and a number of town councillors. Wreaths placed at the base of the memorial were sent from Captain Webb’s birthplace, the Amateur Swimming Association, the Otter Club, the Bath Club, and the sons of the pilot who accompanied Webb on his swim.

big match in Melbourne, and on a splendid table they did not take long to reach their top form. The best breaks were —Lindrum: 169, 451, 270, 104, 491, 253, 255, 122, 114, 617, 122, 313, 103, 186, 146, 365, 473, 132, 419, 131, 209, 154. Falkiner: 146, 205, 374, 209, 170, 191, 192, 123, 585, 158, 306, 110, 143, 231, 116, 143, 128, 368, 153.