SPRINTER’S AIM

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVI, Issue 21244, 14 January 1939, Page 12

SPRINTER’S AIM

Cumberbatch Writes It is evident from his letter to Mr A. c. Kitto, president of the Wellington Amateur Athletic Centre, that J. Cumberbatch, the West Indies sprinter who was in Wellington before and after the British Empire Games last year, retains very happy memories of his visit to this part of the world and of New Zealand athletes and officials. His letter leaves one with the thought that if ever opportunity should offer for him to come this way again he would not be slow in accepting it. In his letter, written from San Fernando, Trinidad, towards the end of October, Cumberbatch mentions that he has been very busy since his return. “There is no 40-hour week here,” he mentions, and adds that through having to undertake extra duties because of men being on leave it has not been very convenient for athletic

training. He refers to his regret a’t saying good-bye to New Zealand and to “the happy memories of the glorious times” spent with Wellington athletic officials and competitors and members of the New Zealand Empire Games team, memories, he says, he will always treasure. He adds that he refuses to be a pessimist and that he looks forward to meeting Mr Kitto again. It gives him great pleasure to tell of the warm hospitality meted out to him and the other members of the West Indies team in New Zealand. At Panama, where the Pan-American Games were held, Cumberbatch says there is a wonderful cinder track on which he felt one could not help returning fast times. When he wrote the athletic season was off, as, he points out, the latter part of the year is usually very rainy, but a few weeks after his return he competed ten or twelve times and won at each start, except one when he was left on the mark. He had been consistently running 220 yards in under 22sec, usually 21 4-ssec. “I propose to aim at 9.6 sec for the 100 yards,” the letter continues, “and 21sec for the 220 yards next year. From January on there will be sports meetings. That will be our dry season, when we also play cricket. I also intend to try very hard to get selected in the island eleven for cricket against the other West Indian Islands. In April, 1939, a West Indian team will be sailing for England, but I don’t think I’ll be in that.” Cumberbatch adds that he is resting until the opening of the athletic season. He asks Mr Kitto for news about New Zealand and also asks Mr Kitto to remember him to the boys and girls of the Empire Games team, and also to the many kind friends he met while in Wellington.