ATHLETICS

Southland Times, Issue 22240, 3 February 1934, Page 15

ATHLETICS

AROUND THE PROVINCE.

(By

“Searchlight.”)

A sports meeting will be held at Raitangata on March 17. The writer understands that RiverSdale and Waikaia will again hold supplementary sports fixtures at Easter, the first on the Saturday and the other on Easter Monday. Both Northern District societies deserve commendation for their initiative and energy in holding Easter fixtures. Last year I attended both, and they were thoroughly successful, with some keen and interesting competition.

An attempt on the New Zealand tenjnile track record of 56min 4sec, held by D. Todd since September 23, 1922, will be made by E. C. Brown, the Civil Service and Otago champion long distance runner, at the Otago amateur athletic championship meeting on Saturday next. Jules Ladoumegue, of France, former holder of the world’s mile and 1000 metres track records, has turned his attention to tennis. The easy style of the French runner has attracted everyone, and it is generally agreed that with a little more practice he will become a first-class player. Ladoumegue is one of the tragedies of the athletic world. One of the greatest distance runners yet produced, the infringement of his amateur status has kept him from competition with the other brilliant distance men of the day, Beccali, Lovelock. Bonthron and Cunningham (says an exchange). Another late-season sports meeting which nevertheless proved enjoyable was the carnival meeting which was revived this year at Tokanui. The Sheffield was won by T. Robins off 10J yards, Jack Gallagher being second in the final off the same mark.

The Wairio runner, T. Valli, annexed the 220 off 8 yards in good style, A. Forde being second. H. Buchanan, off scratch, failed to reproduce his early-season form, in the half-mile though finishing second, but he succeeded in winning the mile by a yard. The Rugby Park Athletic Club has a very useful source of reference in its collection of clippings of reports of athletic meetings and paragraphs and photographs of prominent athletes of the day. • Looking back over the season, the Pioneer Club’s first annual sports meeting at Gore returns to mind as a particularly well-run fixture. The president, ‘Andy” Davidson, showed in full measure that he could turn his experience as a good professional himself in former years to account as an executive officer. He ruled with a firm hand, but his committee was comprised of the right stuff. The bellman had to accept a reprimand for an oversight which, fortunately did not end seriously, but he took it in the right style and carried on cheerfully, showing that he was a true sport. The London News of the World states that sport in the Soviet is booming as never before. Money is being lavishly spent on stadiums and equipment, and it is calculated that over £6,000,000 has been spent this year in construction and another two million in sporting equipment. During the last few years £24,000,000 has been spent on sport. A new stadium is being built in Moscow to hold 150,000 persons seated, while stadiums to seat 100,000 are being built in Leningrad and Kharkoc. The U.S.S.R. Supreme Council of Physical Culture is issuing special badges to those who pass the standard tests for running, swimming, skating, ski-ing, etc. These badges have been already awarded to over 850,000 persons, and many more thousands are engaged in passing for them. Over six and a-half million persons belong to sporting organizations. Sports are conducted under the constant superintendence of special sport “physicians” and under experienced instructors. It was an excellent thought which prompted the Winton Evening Sports Club to hold a final meeting on Tuesday evening to wind up the season in that centre. A large programme was drawn up for the occasion, and it proved the best fixture held by Winton during the season. A good contingent of Invercargill runners and cyclists was represented, while many other district professionals also competed. The events were run off in good style, so that a highly enjoyable evening’s sport was witnessed. The finishes v/er<; close in nearly all cases, providing plenty of excitement, while the races were keenly contested throughout. B. McDonald annexed the 135 yards open handicap off 11) yards, being a good winner in the final from D. Crawford, who nevertheless looked promising from the same mark. Myles Forde was practically handicapped out of his heat, but though unplaced he ran in good style and looked like challenging the winner (McDonald). Reg Frampton (Rugby Park) won the 220 in good style off 11 yards, Myles Forde (scr) being second and Crawford, to whom Frampton gave away three yards, was third. Frampton was also second in the 440, which was won by a maiden runner, W. Leonard. A. Forde (14 yards) was the pacemaker in the earlier stages, but his brother came to the fore at halfway, the winner being close up. Leonard then showed his mettle in the concluding Stages. He won the 100 yards maiden race in addition. The cash cyclists provided some good sport as usual. A. Bone won the halfmile event off 20 yards in a good finishing effort in the final. He also won the mile and a half race, in which a strong pace was set. G. Hoffman was second in the half-mile final, and C. Pauline a strong contender for the father race, finishing second. THE AMATEURS COMING EVENTS. to-day—Otago Championships. February 10—Combined meeting— Athletics and Cycling. February 16-17 —National Championships, Wellington. February 28 —Visit of Australian Athletes. GENERAL NOTES. THE OTAGO CHAMPS. By “Starter.” Probably the biggest contingent that has ever left Southland to attend the Otago meeting, left Invercargill by bus at 5 o’clock last night. About forty athletes and supporters filled the biggest bus of one of the local fleets and a happier or more enthusiastic band it would be hard to find. Many of the competitors are young fellows making their first trip to a championship meeting. Both the local clubs support the theory that everything possible must be done to encourage youngsters taking on the game and while some of them may not be up to championship standard, the experience will stand them in good stead. If keenness goes for anything, the should have a good measure of success, for the men “are not only keen, but fit and well.

Just what measure of success Southland will have against Otago, it is difficult to estimate. Southland is definitely superior in the sprint events, but this is more than balanced by the superiority of Otago’s distance runners and fieldsmen. Should A. A. Cameron be competing in the field events, North Otago will collect the majority of points to be gained in this section. If this is the case the remaining points must be fairly evenly distributed between Dunedin and Invercargill and the tussle for the shield may be very close. It is Invercargill’s great ambition to bring back the shield for most points which was only lost by a whisker last year. MEETING AT BLUFF. At Bluff last Saturday, some twenty city men competed in one of the most enjoyable afternoon meetings of the year. The Bluff amateurs have affiliated as a branch of the Invercargill Amateur Athletic Club and this was their first meeting under their new status. The tracks at Argyle Park are somewhat rough, but this fact did not deter the competitors, who thoroughly enjoyed the departure from the customary perfect conditions. The Bluff boys took their share of the places, Nixey getting first in the 100 and 220 and Cameron winning the 880. R. Creeser, who gave an exhibition of javelin throwing, proved by winning the mile, that his ancient prowess as a runner has not deserted him. Another meeting is to be held at Bluff in the near future and the club is assured of the support of the city runners. INVERCARGILL CLUB. Watching the club reps, filling into the bus which was to convey them to Dunedin last night, presented a cherry and enthusiastic picture of mental and physical alertness. One couldn’t help feeling proud of being sponsor for such a team. Man and boy—and there are several boys among them—they are as fit as hard work and skilful hands can make them. To-day, on the Dunedin Caledonian Grounds, they will vie with Otago’s best for provincial championship honours. It is as strong a team as the club has ever put in the field and hopes are high of bringing back the shield. The club was only defeated for most points last year by the narrowest of margins. In the running events we should more than hold our own, but the field events are our weakness. No high standard has yet been attained in Southland in this branch of the sport. However, the team as a whole is a worthy one and civen a share of the luck of. the day, they may achieve their ambition.