“Like Sheep to the Slaughter”?

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 205, 18 November 1927, Page 10

“Like Sheep to the Slaughter”?

N.Z. AND OLYMPIAD A REGRETTABLE VIEW A good deal of criticism has been levelled recently against sending men from New Zealand to the Olympic Games. “Like sending sheep to the slaughter,” was the somewhat startling simile used at a recent meeting in Auckland. In the circumstances, it is pleasing to have an assurance from the chairman of the New Zealand Olympic Committee in Wellington that it is intended to send only representatives who, it may reasonably be expected, will be among the half dozen finalists in the event for which they are nominated. In any case, it is doubtful if every anything else was contemplated. This" has been the policy in the past, and of the men (and women) who have been sent, it has to be said that they have been a credit to New Zealand, handicapped as they almost invariably have been by lack of preparation and general arrangements for their -welfare. MATERIAL ALL RIGHT There is nothing wrong with the material in New Zealand. We have athletes here potentially equal to the world’s best, but where we lag behind is in the direction of providing a comprehensive scheme of club coaching and training in every centre. As far as sending competitors to the games is concerned, the urgent need is

for building up a fund which would enable New Zealand not only to be adequately represented, but what is considerably more important to enable our representatives to travel comfortably, to be accommodated properly at the Games, and to have sufficient time for training and acclimatisation to the conditions they will meet wherever the Games are held. A few years ago the Olympic authorities paid New Zealand the high compliment of granting her full status as a nation, an indication at least of what the Olympic authorities thought about the calibre of Maoriland athletes. They at least evidently did not consider that we were sending men ‘ like sheep to the slaughter.” STATUS MUST BE KEPT Previous to this New Zealand was joined with Australia as “Australasia” at the Games. It rests w'ith New Zealand to maintain its newly-won status. There can be no question of the beneficial results of competition against the world’s best to amateur sport in New Zealand. The big hurdle is expense—in finding the necessary money to finance a fully representative New Zealand team of athletes —swimmers, boxers, oarsmen and the like —and to see that they are properly trained. In this connection it may be suggested that a permanent fund should be established; whether conjointly or separately by the different sports interested can be left to them to decide. It would be better to spread a funds-raising scheme over every year than, as we have done in the past, to make a hurried canvass right at the last minute every four years the Games are held.