ATHLETICS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16470, 5 July 1921, Page 3

ATHLETICS.

NEWS AND NOTES. (By “SPRINTER.”) Canterbury College lias applied to the Canterbury Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association for permission to hold its annual steeplechase on August 6. and also its apnual inter-facultv meeting, which wijl take place probably on September 17. As the granting of permission is purely a formal business, enthusiasts can mark these two dates down as the opening events of the 1921-22 amateur athletic season in Christchurch. The Newl Zealand cross-country championship will be held this year at Wellington. Nobodv here seems very interested in the event, but I understand that tbe matter of sending a Canterbury team is likelv to be discussed at the next meeting of the Canterbury Centre, which will probably take pla.ee in a day or two. Otago, holders of the championship, and Wellington. are certain to be represented, but unless three provinces take part the championship must fall through. Auckland may send down a team, and there seems no reason whv Canterbury should not be represented. Most of the local distance and crosscountry runners are now playing football so that if a trial run or two should he- arranged there should be no difficulty in selecting a teadi that at least would be fit. Tn connection wittr the New Zealand ersos-countrv championship. Mr C. A. Thomas, secretary of tbe Dunedin Centre, has written to the Canterbury' Centre asking for assistance in an endeavour to secure gold badges for tbe members cf tlie team winning thd championship in lieu of the cloth opes issued to tbe winning team last year. The letter says:—“For several years the council issued gold badges, but of late they have given plain cloth badges, which are not by any means serviceable. For such an occasion it certainly behoves tbe council to present the winning team with a badge that can lie maintained for a period/’ The chief question in the providing of badges is in all probabilitv that of finance, but the cross-country championship is a very hard race, and those who had a share in the winning of it should certainly receive a lasting memento of their efforts.

C. H. Taylor, the Canterburv middledistance champion spent a few days in Dunedin recently, and was informed by Mr Thomas, secretary of the. Dunedin Centre, that thev are making a quarter-mile cinder track on tho Caledonian grounds. The track is 20ft wide, and it is thought that when completed it will he the best in New Zealand. Nine inches of cinders are being laid down, and after this has been allowed to settle properly two inches of fine cinders will be laid on top. Dunedin times have generally been slow owing to the sogginess of tbe ground, but next season the southern speedsters may be showing something better.

The Port Chalmers-Dunedin road race, a championship and handicap event of about seven and a half miles, will be beld on September 3. There are about eight or nine trophies. The Dunedin Centre’s spring meeting will again be beld in October. A 1000yds race will be featured on the Programme. and C. FI. Taylor has been, asked to compete and endeavour to break tbe 1000yds record, which, I believe. is 2min 17 2-ssee. If he is fit, no one will doubt Taylor’s ability to lower this time.

The council in Wellington seems to be carrving out its duties in a very lackadaisical manner. A few weeks ago the local centre could get no answer to its correspondence, and now Dunedinites are verv much annoyed. They wTote asking to be allowed the use of the .iavelin and discus in the possession of the council, hut that body refused to give the articles to them, saying thev belonged to someone else. Dunedinites declare that they are the property of the council, aud are wrathful at their reauest beino' refused. Tbe Dunedin Centre might find it more satisfactory to buy a .iavelin and a. discus. There is another matter which has roused the ire of the southern enthusiasts. Every other centre secretary appears to have had official communication from the council regarding the visit of the South African athletic team next year, blit all Dunedinites know about the visit is what thev have read in the papers Dunedin wants to put on a bisr moetincr for the visitors but it is asserted that though thev have written to the council they cannot get any satisfaction.

Tn Dunedin m. present there are thirteen athletic clubs. The majority of these, of course, are harrier clubs, but they turn their attention to the track m the summer time. It is time we had more clubs here. This month’s meeting of the committee of the C.A.A.O. will be held in the Pioneer Sports Club rdbms on July 14.

Tbe Y.M.O.A. Athletic Club is to be formed at tbe end of this month, and T understand that it will he a fairly

strong bodv. Tbe idea of forming an athletic club seems to have proved popular with members of the institution. and a meetino- is to be held a.tthe end of the month to get things moving.