INDIAN TEAM LEAVES

Taranaki Daily News, 2 August 1935, Page 10

INDIAN TEAM LEAVES

VISITORS’ FAREWELL APPRECIATION OF TOUR Having scored 307 goals against opponents’ 21 goals in 27 hockey games which were watched by 150,000 to 200,000 people, the touring Indian team left New Zealand last week for Australia, where it is scheduled to play six matches against provincial representatives and possibly one test match. It may also meet teams at Perth and Adelaide. There is no doubt the tour has been a wonderful success, eclipsing even the optimists’ expectations. Boys all over the Dominion are demanding sticks, and associations are shouldered with the responsibility of maintaining the interest the visitors have created. * # » * From the administrative point of view the tour may not have ended on the highest note, owing to the unfortunate question concerning expenses raised at a meeting of the New Zealand Association. Nevertheless the public's admiration for the Indians, both on the field and off it, is unbounded. What the Indians think of New Zealand may be summed up in the official farewell statement by Mr. Behram Doctor, the manager of the contingent. “As far as treatment goes,’’ he said, “it could not possibly have been better. There might have been certain difficulties, but with all that,, we were treated right royally. Every effort was made, not only by those interested in hockey but also outside the hockey world, te see that wherever we went, we were comfortable. I cannot but make a special reference to the New Zealand Hockey Association, without whose kind thoughts we would not have gone through this Dominion. The authorities of the association and of all the provincial associations concerned have left no stone unturned to see that wc had

all that we desired so that we could take back with us good memories. “When we arrived here it was our intention that we should, besides playing hockey, leave behind in this/ country memories of friendship which would be retained for a very long time to come. At the same time we had one fixed object in our mind, and that was to take away with us good feelings, good thoughts, good impressions of this country. There is no denying the fact that this tour of ours will be very difficult to forget, for we have formed friendships which will be lifelong. “I brought with me a team of men who have acted and turned out to be a credit to my country. They have left, both on the field and away from the field, the best of traditions under which the game should be played, .and the game was mayed. This team that I brought can, I am sure, extend any hockey combination outside India, and would be almost unbeatable. After I say this, you will appreciate the performances put up by the New Zealand team in the first two tests. India had to fight to uphold the prestige of the fatherland. “It may be argued that in the first two tests the grounds were not in favour of India. None the less, this can in no way go to detract credit from the players under Mr. E. McLeod. Mr. McLeod had the honour of leading the New Zealand side in all three tests, and with most perfect confidence I can say that the New Zealand men were well worthy of playing the powerful team against which they were pitted. “As far as the question of umpiring stands, there may have been occasions when we did not see eye to eye with their point of view. Nevertheless, as far as their keenness and their honesty of purpose goes, the New Zealand umpires are at par with umpires in arty other part of the world.”

Lending Hockey Test Films. The films taken of the first and second hockey tests are being lent by the Wellington Association to kindred bodies, on certain conditions. Contained in 700 feet of slow motion film which takes 16 minutes to run, the experiment will prove useful from the coaching point of view.