SPORTING AND ATHLETIC REVIEW

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17170, 13 October 1923, Page 6 (Supplement)

SPORTING AND ATHLETIC REVIEW

Mr S. Sherriii, one of the judges at the Australasian Amateur champion.•'hips, in reviewing the meeting in the Sydney “ Referee,” made the following reference to Purdy:— O. Purdy, of New- Zealand, proved a very clever boxer. Something out of the ordinary his clever head and foot work were a treat watch, but I am inclined to think that he overdoes this cleverness, 1 would like to see him do more connter work. In my opinion he would be able to hold his own with any professional of his weight. Purdy quickly sums up his opponent, and this clever display of his may be due to his ability ami confidence of sizing up his opponents. *** The meteoric rise to popularity enjoyed by Jim O’Sullivan lias been the subject of much comment by boxing writers throughout Now Zealand, most ofjpvhom had looked upon Tom Heeney asSjinvincible—as far as a New Zealand challenger was concerned, at all events, (sijfys the Auckland ‘Star”). It may bo-* that he would still ho unknown liar! it riiot been for the very keen interesg which Trainer Peoples evinced in him after seeing him in action some months ago. With a quick eye for proinking “material” Peoples decided right away that O’Sullivan was the makings of a champion, and though he was not. supported in this belief by a largo number who professed much diseemment in matters pugilistic, he set to work and trained the tall young ru»n consistently. When the time was ripo negotiations were undertaken for n contest involving the title, but the result was an outburst of criticism on the part of writers all over New Zenland, who remembered Heeney's treatment of the late Cyril Whitaker, Australiau Flett, and Brian M Cleary However, Peoples pitted Ins judgment against that of the doleful prognostiES • n V h *, ?LT.u frr*’fj y founJ.f with nhat res, t a I A ustran ‘ ' •*' ' , 1 1 *' ar ! st.il wears the same size m hate, and for the past week has been back ... Ins lO s- .. . < * After seeing the Chinese Soccer team in- action, we. must be satisfied that these players have set a standard of elean. friendly sportsmanship, unsurMSed by other players (says the Sydney - Sunday News’’) Their all-round handshake before the first match must l.ave been sincere for they have piay.-d the game right through. Whenone of the Chinese tas coneerne ~r bringing an opponent down, he h4pe,l the other to h,s feet Two inciaents in tho first lest Match arc a good index. Two- Chinese platers wire hurt and on each occasion tlie injured mail staggered off tlie field bef.we he fell, thus allowing the game to eoTitanne. The Chinese are even better sports the, they are Soccer players. And they are. good Soccer players. ' A rising star in American tennis is Fl T. Hunter, generally admitted to bo the hardest hitter in the world (says the “Bulletin”). Tf Hunter could only control the ball better, his speedy forehand swipes would bring him a few more trophies. He defeated Patterson at Soabright last> year, but in tlie Na- • tional singles at Philadelphia a few weeks later the big Victorian scored

8-6, 6-1, 7-5 against him. However, the man lias improved considerably since, for he followed up his second place to Johnston at Wimbledon by knocking out Vincent Richards at Philadelphia. Richards has had a rather rough passage this year. He went over to Wimbledon with the. retinue of a prize-pug., including a 'doctor, who kept a strict eye on his diet and i training habits. Paragraphed and J photoed by the London press, he was . expected to extend Johnston to the j limit. Actually, he was finished off in three straight sets, The big boxing promoters in America do not take any risks. When Benny Leonard and Lew Tendler met a couple of months ago for the world’s light-weight title, it was announced that each had been insured for 100,000 dollars against accident, sickness, or death, which would prevent them from carrying out their engagement. Anjollier 100,000 dollar policy was taken j out to insure the stadium against fire, and an additional 75.000 dollars to protect. the promoters in case of rain. The entire sum of insurance taken out amounted to 575,000 dollars, and was placed with Lloyd’s, London. Insuring the principals in n title match for 100. DUO dollars each is the rec-ord amount of insurance for a fight. Tex. Rickard insured Firpo and Willard for .">O,OOO dollars each in their recent scrap, *** Commenting of Nurmi’s mile record 0 f 4 m in 10 2-osec “Veteran” writes j u the London * Sportsman ” :—Purj ng t] ie pas t few days one of the chief top ; cs of conversation among officials a i;d others at athletic meetings has ] KOU the wonderful record running by tho f amous Finlander, Paavo Nurmi, previous record performances, at lonwer distances, had prepared the el „ ( 7,, nts o] form to expect something °' lt " f at .Shorter i.»rne,.; j p articuiar l v when one realise,l how irentendous was his turn of speed, but ; doubtful whether the most sanuf his admire „ were looking forward to a. 4miu 10 2-ssec mile. Yet Walter Goodall George—the greatest „ s a ji athletes at his own distances—i,as olten |,e oll hoard to sav that the day „ ould <; ome when the record figfor u lri ie would stand in tlie rejon of 4m j n Bsec Well we really m tQ be getting on that way. _ lnlin l2j se c. Teller’s 4min 12 Hilt’s 4min 13 4-Ssee, Stallard’s 4mm 14 l-5.5e,•, and Sink’s 4m,n 1 4 4-osec are feats which provide food reHection . Then we have had seen oUter fine milers „ Hawtrey. Hugh .... . . , rr t-, 77 JVelsl,, Henderson-Hamilton. F E. «aeon anil others showing round about '^P nn . ‘ J' <?r or j a . m ‘ r ‘ W< \ Nunn, doing 4mm 10 2-ssee, and E. ' ***•«>* S .' Te<, J 0: " hw mile Championship ,n 1913 finishing next to Nurmi in 4min 13 1-lOsec. f wonder when finality at speedy mile lining will be reached. * Yorkshire are again champions of cricket (writes the London correspondent of “The Star.” under date, August 23). They have still five matches t•• play, but although they lose all \ these, which is most unlikely, they will j have a better record than any of their rivals. This is the twelfth occasion

on which Yorkshire have carried off the honours of the season and a few facts show them to have been a remarkable team, at any rate in comparison with their opponents. They have already won twenty-two matches, or two more than any side has ever recorded since tlie start of the championship. Their single defeat was at the hands of Notts, who beat them by three runs, and their three draws—ail the result of rain—occurred when they were in a winning position. Eleven times they have won by more than an innings and five times by mO*e than five wickets. Each wicket that has fallen has cost their opponents an average of twenty-nine runs, whereas tho Yorkshire bowlers have claimed their victims at an average of thirteen runs each. The Yorkshire innings passed the 300 mark on twelve occasions, but the best total put up against them was Surrey’s 278. It may also bo mentioned that whilst the new champions declared their innings closed eight times, their opponents were never in a position to do this. Again only two centuries have been scored against them. These are indeed striking facts to prove that they have been a wonderful combination. The secret of their success has been howling—good length bowling and plenty of it. Messrs T. Fisher Unwin Ltd. announce the publication of “ The Log of a Sportsman,” by E. H. D. Sewell. The .author, the well-known cricketer and cricket and Ruglqy authority, writes on a variety of subjects of interest—from tiger shooting to Test matches, mahseer fishing to Rugby football. The volume is made especially interesting by the fact that it is freely illustrated with sporting photographs, some of them “ action ” ones of celebrated players. Having played with or against almost every first-class cricketer of the present century, from W. G- Grace downwards, Mr Sewell has the story to tell of a practical cricketer with a first-hand knowledge of his subject. Of India, of which he has many years’ experience, the author can write of big game shooting, and alsoof cricket, golf and sport generally with an intimate touch.

THE OLYMPIC GAMES. ENGLISH VIEWS. (Special to “ The Star.”) LON HON. August 23. 1 Another big and influential effort is being made to rally interest towards the Olympic Games which arc next to take place in Holland. A public appeal launched by Lord Birkenhead has been well suDported, over £30,000 having been subscribed to meet the training expenses of likely competitors. Still more money, it is estimated, will he wanted, and there is little or no doubt that it will be forthcoming. Yet these Games are not very popular in this country. Promoted to encourage international goodwill, tlie re- } suit has on several occasions been tlie opposite. It is said on the Oontin--1 ent that our interest would be keener

if our Olympic record wore better, but to suggest that our sport is decadent because we fail in discus browing and javelin hurling and other forms o? athletics which are a substantial part of the programme overlooks the right of men to prefer a game of cricket or football, golf or lawn tennis. To play with a ball is our instinctive inheritance, and the simple fact is that our interests do not coincide with those of other nations. There is another important factor. Our view of amateurism is stricter. For instance whilst the footballers of tho Continent rank as amateurs they are beyond all cloubt professionals according to our principles. They are not paid for taking part in a match, but if to do so entails any financial sacrifice it is made good. Suppose, for example, it is necessary for a man to leave his work to turn out, the wages he loses will bo paid to him Exactly the same position arose in the Rugby game in Yorkshire and Lancashire, and it was the sole cause of the split and the formation of the Northern Union. It was proved that the clubs in the two counties were in the habit of paying for what was called “broken time.” The Rugby Union declared this to be professionalism, and rather than sanction it they allowed the powerful forces of the north to break away and sot up a rival body Payment for “ broken time,” is undoubtedly paid to the Continental footballer. and there is a strong suspicion that the same practice obtains in regard to other athletes during their preparation for the Olmpiad. It- is not, of course, said that British principles are right and those of our rivals necessarily wrong, but the difference exists, and it accounts in a large measure for the apathy which is shown towards the Games in this country.

ATHLETICS IN FAR EAST. INTERN AT lONA L CONTESTS. The following article, which appear ed in the Sydney “ Sunday Sun,” wa« written by Mr Mallard, the organise, and manager of the Chinese football team at present touring Australia:— It does not seem to be known, even in a country as near to the scene as is Australia, that every two years there is a Far East Olympiad held on the lines of the games at Paris, Stockholm and other European centres. The first meeting was held as far back at 1913. The three peoples concerned are China, Japan and tlie Philippine Is lands, and each enters a team for com petition, and cups, shields and various other trophies are presented to winning teams and individuals. However, it is not called an Olympiad nowadays, although that is what it is in fact. European authorities lodged an objection to the use of the name, and the occasions have, therefore, com.? to be known as the- meetings of the Far Fast Athletic Association. The events open for the aggregate points amongst teams are track and field, swimming, lawn tennis, football.

volleyball, basketball and baseball. The country winning tho most points in these events carries off the trophy for the championship. At Osaka—the largest manufacturing city in Japan—l was astonished at the enthusiasm shown by all. For the whole time the citv was on holiday. Built on reclaimed ground is—or. perhaps, I should say was—a modern sports stadium in the form of an am phi theatre, terraced all round, and capable of accommodating 50,000 people. Already 300.000 yen—the sterling value oi a yen is 2s 2d —lias been spent on the area. It was estimated to cost halt a million yen on completion—that is to say, about £'50,000. TALLER JAPANESE. Arrangements provided also for the building of a stadium at Tokio at a cost of one million yen, or more than £IOO.OOO. It will thus he seen that Japan is fully alive to the importance of these games, the first of which were held in Manila in 1913. They have taken place each alternate year since.

The Government of Japan is behind the whole athletic campaign, for it rc cognises the significance of recent statistics. which show that the Japenese as a race have increased their height over one inch since their entrv into the sphere of Western athletics. In each city public parks are being erected, and in these there are all sorts of athletic facilities and equip youth to cultivate athletics. Sports have been added to the curriculum of all the schools and colleges in Japan. Inter-collegiate and open championships arc held, and these cause groat interest. THE FILIPINO STAR. The Philippine Islands arc progressing in a similar manner. The Government is behind it to such an extent as to contribute 12,000 paesos— rate of 2s 2d sterling—towards the expenses of tho team to Japan, in addition to sending a parliamentary delegation of eight

to accompany the team. The Prince of Japan, with liis full Court party, attended the games for tho whole' week at Osaka.

The Filipinos specialised in the sprint events. The star of tho meeting was Catalon, who has won the 100 and the 220 yards events on tlie last three occasions. He is correctly credited with 9 3-osec for the hundred. He is to go .to Paris next year, and a special trainer is being procured from America lor him. His effort in the 220 vards was a very creditable one. Running in tapes, he led from start to finish, and won by two yards, defeating the four Japanese, who finished abreast behind him. He is a fine athlete, about oft Sin in height, and strongly built. f expect him to extend Carr and Pad dock next year in Paris. On this occa sion Japan won three events—track and field, swimming and lawn tennis: the Philippine Islands won baseball, basketball and volleyball ; and China won the football. Japan and the Philippines won three events each, but the track and field events, being included in tho three won by Japan, entitled them to the honours of tlie meeting.

The next Games will take place at Manila in 1925, and a stadium is al ready in course of construction. Tlie following meeting will be in China in 192/, and then agan in 1929 in Japan. The stadium to be built in Tokio fo.these Games will be the biggest in the world. At any rate, that was tlie programme prior to the earthquake disaster. Meanwhile, a fund has been opened in China for tlie construction of stadiums in the different centres there. Noticeable features of the games have been the elimination of all purely Oriental events, and, for the first time in the world’s history, the entry of the Eastern women into public life. After many months of controversy it was decided to take the step, and each country sent a ladies’ team. In lawn tennis, volleyball, basketball and swimming Japan again carried off the honours, and the contestants in their Western uniforms presented a very different appearance to the kimonobedecked little lady of Japan. It was a risky experiment, but it is estab lished now. This is further proof of the progress into Western customs and games being made by the Oriental. Further, a movement is on foot to include India. Java and the Malay States in this athletic movement. The whole Eastern world, indeed, appears to be awakening to the possibilities of athletics as a means of fostering friendly relations between countries.

At present the supremacy in athletic games is mostlv with the Western peoples. but my idea is that in tlie near future this will be challenged, and successfully challenged, too.

CHOOSING A CRICKET BAT. POI NTS WORT H REM FA IBERING I oung cricketers—and old ones too —are now scanning the windows of the stores and sporting goods shops, mentally selecting their fiats for the summer game. This requires both judgment and knowledge on the part of the purchaser if satisfactory results are to be obtained. Do not be too keen on a perfectly white blade, writes “ C.H.E.R.” in the “ Daily Mail,” as these arc usually made from very young trees that were felled before the wood had had time to become toughened by Nature. Many a time I have seen most expensive allwhite bats with broken blades after only one afternoon's play. Study the lengthwise lines on the surface of the bats you examine. The wood that wears best has from about six to ten lines down the entire length of the face. Each space between denotes a year's growth. Some of the toughest and most serviceable willowlias a large yellowish splash stain known to dealers in willow as the butterfly stain, on account of its resemblance to that insect. Quite frequently the inexperienced buyer of a bat is prejudiced at sight against those bearing this mark. This is one of the biggest mistakes it is possible to make. Instead of the butterfly stain being in

the nature of a knot or blemish, it is a sure sign of quality. There is a. scarcity of close-barked willow trees of any size, and it is on this account that so much small timber is being felled. This wood, of very attractive appearance both in the cleft and in the manufactured article, has decided drawbacks when brought into action. It- will not stand much hard hitting, and soon splinters up. In choosing what is to be your best bat of all, give attention to the colour of the blade. Any bats that have a third or half of tho surface of a light brown shade should not be considered. These bats have been manufactured from open-barked willow—the kind that has a very coarse-grained covering and lacks the silvery sheen on its foliage that is a characteristic of tho close-barked and more valuable variety. Blades made from open-bark-ed willow are frequently heavy. Generally they are brittle also. When you have bought your best, give it the care and attention of which it stands in need : From time to time be sure to oil it, and do not neglect to rub it in. This preserves it, and keeps life in the wood. HOBBS’ FIRST TEST. A THRILLING FINISH. “Adventures in Australia; My First Test Match,” was the subject of an article by J. B. Hobbs. ’ England's premier batsman, in the “ Sunday Express.” It was the second test at Melbourne in January, 1908. and England won by one wicket after a highly exciting game, and one of the most thrilling finishes on record. Telling the story, Hobbs says:—“ Australia won the toss, and compiled 266. Noble made 61 of these, and the total did not seem formidable. I opened the England innings with Fane. I was not exactly nervous, but had the set idea :>f doing my very best, and decided to take no risk, but to make them get me out. I remained in for a trifle iver three hours, scoring 83 out of the 160 made in that time. I was then bowled by Cotter after a slow, defensive innings. Hutchings made a magnilcent 126, and our last wicket fell with the board showing 382. Australia put up a fine fight; their second attempt realising 397, of which 53 were made by Trumper. 54 by Macartney. 64 by Noble, 77 by Armstrong, and 53 by Carter. Fane again took me in to open England’s second innings. This time everybody on our side, including Mr Extras, •cached double figures, with the Dne exception cf George Gunn, who bad the misfortune to be out l.b.w. before he had scored. My own contribution was 28. After a hard tussle we were eight wickets down and still required 73 to win. “It looked all over. But there were surprises to come. Humphries and sarnes put on 34. and then Barnes and Fielder knocked off the remaining 39 md won the match, Barnes having 38 aot out to his credit. I shall never orget that finish. The batsmen eager or every run. the bowlers and fielders m their toes to stop them. It was a ie when Barnes and Fielder, who had evidently decided to run everything, vent for a desperately short one. Ilazitt, at cover, took a wild shy at the

stumps, missed by yards, and we had won. If he had thrown in an underhand one it might have been a tie. The tension in the dressing room was unforgettable. No one dared move, even to fetch a sock or a shoe. Each man stood still, half dressed as he was, as if any movement would distract the batsmen. “ When it was all over the crowd cheered frantically. Barnes was the hero of the hour, and Fielder came in for his share of glory, too. No Derby, no race ever run, produced a greater thrill.” That was the only Test match the Englishmen won on that tour. LEATHER AND RUBBER. TIIE MAKING OF FOOTBALLS. Very few of those who buy or use footballs realise the large amount of care and skill employed in their manufacture, especially where good grade balls are concerned. Right from the purchase of the hides and the raw rubber to the final test applied to the finished football each process is carried out by highly-trained workers and under expert supervision. That is why, having paid a fair price, one so rarely gets a “dud” football. The leather for the cases has to be chosen with care, for while it must be strong and supple, it must also be quite thin. Special methods of tanning the hides are employed to obtain leather that has these virtues. Certain firms carry on their own tanning operations, and !t may well he mentioned that although modern methods enable a hide to be converted into leather in a few weeks, it is not unusual for special hides to be left in the tanks for as long as twelve months to obtain the best results. When the leather has been passed as ready for use the various sections that go to make a case are cut out and sewn together. In good quality rases the whole of the stitching is done by hand. Each case is weighed, measured and thoroughly tested for strain before it leaves the factory. The bladders are made by the big rubber firms, and, again, only the best quality material is used. ' Para, or Brazilian, rubber is much employed for this purpose. The crude rubber is ground into a form of dough, and is then made into sheets, afterwards being cut into sections of the required size. Four of these sections are joined together with rubber solution, the in-flation-tubes inserted, and the whole bladder is then subjected to a vulcanising process. £>ach bladder is blown up and allowed to remain inflated for some considerable time before it is sent out. to make sure that it is perfectly airtight.