WHO ARE AMATEURS?

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19751, 19 March 1934, Page 6

WHO ARE AMATEURS?

One of the most provocative reports on the much discussed question of the status of amateurs in sport, has been issued by (lie committee appointed by the International Tennis Board. One function of the inquiry was to revise the definition of “amateur.” Obviously, the committee has taken its courage in both hands, and sets itself out scathingly to denounce amateurism, as at present practised in the tennis world. The cable messages this morning indicate that the report comments on “so-called amateurs living at someone else’s expense from January 1 to December 31, and touring the world without putting their hands in their pockets.” The committee proposes, that “except when officially selected by his association, a player shall receive travelling and living expenses for only eight weeks in a year.” It is also suggested that restrictions should be placed on amateurs who are more and more indulging in the practice of playing demonstration games with professionals. Other criticism is equally pointed and severe. Doubtless, the man in the street is beginning to ask himself just what constitutes an amateur. He sees Australian cricketers battling almost bitterly for places in a cricket team to journey to England in quest of “the Ashes.” He notes that not only are all expenses paid, but Australian amateur cricketers are assured of a bonus of £6OO for the tour, which will probably last six months. He notes that English professional cricketers who journey to Australia are paid £4OO, plus a bonus out of the receipts of the tour. The English amateur cricketer draws no pay and no bonus! One man in the street asks another man in the street if he can tell him when a player becomes a professional! And then he turns his attention to tennis. He notes that the leading tennis players seem to engage in continuous touring and matchplaying in many countries. Fred Perry, the English tennis star, has been playing through four seasons without a break; in England and in Africa, on the Continent, in England, in the United States and then Australia. He is now racing the Australian tennis team home to England to engage in another long series of tennis contests on the Continent, and then in the Davis Cup contests. The Australian tennis stars seem to have been playing right through three or four seasons, first in Australia, then on the Continent, in England, in the United States, then in New Zealand and Australia. They are now off on the jaunt again to play in the inter-zone tests under the Davis Cup preliminaries, and then on to the Continent and England to engage in the French and British national tournaments. They will probably go on to the United States and back to Australia in time for the following tennis season. It will be remembered that the Scottish Rugby football authorities declined one year to agree to an international football contest between Scotland and New Zealand, because it had been suggested that some minor breach of the rules of amateur sport had been violated. Happily that impression has been removed, and during the next British tour of the All Blacks, international games between Scotland and New Zealand will be resumed. Manifestly there is something to be said for the attitude adopted by the courageous spirits associated with the inquiry instituted by the International Tennis Board. Plainly there exists so-called amateurs in the tennis world who are living at somebody else’s expense and touring round and round the world without putting their hands in their pockets. In other words, there are so-called amateurs in the tennis world who are living on the game. Such a mode of life is, of course, a precarious thing indeed; but if amateurism is to retain its lily white complexion it is obvious that a thorough clean-up is very much overdue.