NEW PLYMOUTH CHOSEN

Taranaki Daily News, 10 September 1934, Page 7

NEW PLYMOUTH CHOSEN

BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIPS NORTH ISLAND TITLES ALLOTTED. VENUE OF NEXT YEAR'S CONTESTS. APPRECIATION OF THE WORK DONE The announcement that New Plymouth is to be the venue of next year’s North Island badminton championships was made at the conclusion of the North Island championships at Wanganui on Saturday. The allocation of the championships is evidence of the appreciation felt by members of the Council of the New Zealand Federation of the splendid work done during the first year of the Taranaki association’s existence.

“New Plymouth has done remarkable work in its first year of existence,” said Mr. Strachan Harris, president of the New Zealand federation, to a News reporter at Wanganui on Saturday night. “In fact it would not be too much to say the work done is without parallel in the history of sport in New Zealand.”

The council had decided that championships were to be allocated only to centres which had shown they were really doing developmental work, continued Mr. Harris, and enough had been seen of the methods of organisation at the Taranaki championships last week to make it certain that the association could conduct a tournament twice the size without trouble. It was probable that if New Plymouth continued to show the same ability of organisation the New Zealand championships, which had been allotted to Auckland, would be given New Plymouth within a year or two. “The development of the game in Taranaki is exactly what we want,” Mr. Harris concluded. “I wish the South Island would take a leaf out of New Plymouth’s book. There are about 3000 badminton players in New Zealand, but there are only 500 in the South Island. New Plymouth has the best hall in New Zealand for the game, and it is conceivable that the larger centres will have to build their own halls if they wish to remain as championship venues. I can promise you that Auckland has already decided to send as many players aS possible to next year’s North Island championships.” The decision is a personal triumph for Mr. C. J. E. Smith, New Plymouth, who is president of the Taranaki association. Mr. Smith has interested many of the smaller settlements of Taranaki in the game and he has been instrumental in securing large numbers to join outlying clubs. The work he is doing found appreciation from many council members at Wanganui. NEW ZEALAND TITLES. MEN’S SINGLES TO FOW. A number of Taranaki people went to Wanganui on Saturday for the finals of the New Zealand badminton championships and they were rewarded with sparkling play of a standard to which Taranakians have not yet attained. The men’s singles was won by H. Fow, Hamilton, the most agile player in New Zealand. Miss D. Ellett, Auckland, beat Miss J. Ramsay, Auckland, in the women’s singles, which went to three sets, and the other matches were all interesting. Few Taranaki players took part, B. Collinge and R. Allen, New Plymouth, being the only men and Misses M. Bright and A. Kemp, Hawera, the only women. The Hawera pair went ■through to the semi-finals of the women’s handicap doubles and in other events played well, Miss Bright entering the semi-final of the women’s B grade singles. ; Collinge and Allen also played well though both found the class too hot for them.

The standard of play was shown by the fact that Handley, who created a sensation with his play at New Plymouth when he won the Taranaki championship last week, could reach no farther than the second round of the men’s singles. The tournament was the eighth for the New Zealand title, and about 120 players took part, compared with 30 at the first tournament at Wanganui.