BASKETBALL

Southland Times, Issue 23444, 26 February 1938, Page 20

BASKETBALL

ANNUAL REPORT OF ASSOCIATION The annual report of the Central Basketball Association states: The 1937 season will be remembered by officials and players as the year in which we sent a team to Auckland and won the President’s Shield outright. At the New Zealand tournament our girls met teams from much bigger centres with better facilities for training, and it says much for the physical condition of our team, when it was able to stand up to the gruelling matches and finish a match almost as fresh as when it started. The thanks of the association is due to Mrs Jamieson’ who attended to the physical training. The cost of the tour was about £l5O, and the responsibility for raising this amount was accepted by a committee, the majority of which were players. A programme was drawn up, and at times the committee had as many as three functions on its hands at the same time. The public is to be congratulated on the magnificent manner in which it responded to the committee’s appeals for cash. Thanks are also due to those who so willingly gave of their time to make the two concerts such outstanding successes. At the Country Day tournament, Central carried all before it, and in one match established a record for the number of goals scored. Time did not permit of the final being played, and this took place at Winton,- Central winning by a good margin and so retained the Mclnnes Shield. Tournaments held by other clubs were well patronized by the Central teams, but at the King’s Birthday tournament all the Central teams with the excepti6n of Browns were eliminated in the sections. Browns reached the semi-final of the third grade competition, but failed to get any further. The number of teams affiliated to the association increased from 12 to 13, eight being entered in the senior grade and five in the junior. Because of the inclement weather and the large number of matches that had to be played, two full rounds could not be played, but the competition had advanced to such a stage that Rovers could not be deprived of first place nor Limehills of second. In the junior grade the same two teams occupied the same positions.

The finances of the association are in a healthier condition than they were last year, hut as long as Central re-

tains the right to represent Southland Minor, they will not be in a satisfactory state until there is a reserve of £lOO, and the prospect of ever acquiring such a reserve is very remote. This season the New Zealand Basketball Tournament is to be held in Timaru, and the estimated cost of the trip is £75,