HOCKEY TOUR.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20541, 16 February 1935, Page 11

HOCKEY TOUR.

All-India Side to Visit Dominion. ARRANGEMENTS COMPLETED. During the past six months the New Zealand Hockey Association has been negotiating with the Indian Hockey Federation with a view to the Indian representative hockey team visiting New Zealand this year. The negotiations were brought to a successful conclusion yesterday morning, when Mr W. H. Down, the honorary secretary of the New Zealand Hockey Association, received a cable from India confirming the acceptance of New Zealand’s terms and advising that the Indian team would sail from Bombay on or about April 20. The Indians will arrive in New Zealand, either at Wellington on May 13, or at A/uckland on May 22. The Indian team which so successfully toured New Zealand in 1926 was representative only of the Indian Army, but the team which will be touring New Zealand during the present year will be selected from the whole of India and will be practically identical with the team which holds the world’s Olympic championship. Details of the selected team are not yet available in Christchurch, but it is expected that not more than two* representatives from the Army team will be able to secure places in this All-India team for 1935. It is certain, however, that the 1935 team will be a much stronger combination than the previous team which visited New Zealand. The New Zealand Hockey Association has had to accept heavy financial responsibilities in order to secure the I visit. In view of the large public support which attended the visit of the Indian Army team, however, there is every reason to suppose that in spite of the heavy financial commitments involved the proposed tour should be successful, both financially and from a playing point of view. The team will be in New Zealand for approximately ten weeks and will visit not only the main centres, but also a large number of country districts. A special meeting of the New Zealand Hockey Association will be held on Wednesday evening next to decide the financial terms on which matches will be granted to the various affiliated associations. Already the New Zealand Hockey Association has received representations from Australia for the Indians to play a series of matches in New South Wales at the conclusion of the New Zealand tour, but this is a matter for further negotiation between New Zealand and India. The outstanding player in the Indian Army team which toured New Zealand in 1926 was the wonderful centre-forward, Dhian Chand. Since visiting New Zealand, this wonderful Indian has played hockey in China, he has visited England with the Indian Olympic team, and he has played in Los Angeles, California, in the Olympic Games played there two years ago. It is hoped that he will be a member of the Indian team to visit New Zealand this year, as his world-wide reputation as the best player that the game has known will be a great draw.