FINLAND PREPARES FOR 1940

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 29, 4 February 1939, Page 4

FINLAND PREPARES FOR 1940

GETTING READY FOR OLYMPIC GAMES

SPORT AND ATHLETICS POPULAR FOR CENTURIES

DIFFICULTIES IN DAYS OF RUSSIAN RULE

Sixty nations have been invited to take part in the Olympic Games of 1940, and Finland is sparing no effort to make the Games among the most successful ever held. To judge by the first news bulletins from Helsinki, they are going about things the right way. Given the high honour of staging the Olympic Games in 1940 as late as July of last year, Finland called a hurried meeting of high dignitaries of State and Helsinki, and stock was taken of available resources. Despite an uncomfortable shortness of time at its disposal for staging the Games, Finland decided that it could, and would, go through with the job. Preparations for a successful world athletic meeting are well under way, including the building programme, and the choice of sites for the various: competitions. The most important single feature, enlarging the great' athletic stadium, is already in the hands of the builders. Sport and His lory. It is interesting to note what is said about sports in Finland in the news bulletins: — "Sport and athletics have been popular with the people of Finland from ancient times, although physical training in the modern sense is comparatively young here as in the rest of the world. The development of physical training in Finland during more recent times is closely related in many ways to the historical vicissitudes of the country. "After being united to Sweden for 600 years, subsequent to 1581 as a Grand Duchy with a flag of her own. Finland became joined to Russia by conquest in 1809. The Tzar of Russia then granted the country a special status, which enabled her within the framework of complete autonomy to develop on the basis of her own national culture. "But this special status gave birth to ill-feeling among reactionary circles in Russia, and during the last decade of the 19th. century that country adopted a policy of compulsory Russification in Finland. “Fortunately, physical training in its present form had previouslyspread to Finland. It was natural that the attempts at Russification, and particularly the disbanding of the Finnish army at the turn of the century prepared the ground for physical training and sport. "Even in those days there were more than 100 sports and athletic clubs in Finland, and in 1900 a central link between these clubs was formed by the foundation of the Finnish Gymnastic and Athletic Association. "The Russian authorities nevertheless saw in this an attempt to undermine the policy- of Russification, and banned the association. In spite of this the association continued to work underground, founding increasing numbers of sports and athletic clubs and promoting their development. "After 1904 Russia was forced byinternal conditions and international relations to grant Finland a short breathing space. This was also felt in athletic circles. In 1906 the rules of the association were officially confirmed. Under Russian Flag. "It was during these times that Finnish sport came into contact with the wider world. At the Athens intermediate Games and the London Olympic Games, Finland attracted attention not only by her athletic achievements, but also by the fact that the Russian authorities had forbidden the Finnish team to appear under the Finnish flag. "Finland eventually came into her own as an athletic country at the Stockholm Olympic Games in 1912. It has been said that at these Games. Hannes Kolchmainen ’ran Finland on to the map of the world.’ "But Russia frowned on Finland's athletic successes and measures were taken to prevent her atheletes from bringing honour to the country by their performances. "As a result the International .Olympic Committee decided in Paris in 1914 to remove Finland's name from the roll of Olympic nations.

"In spite of this set-back the Olympic ideal continued to spread and strengthen in Finland. "The outbreak of War in 1914 absolved Finland from the duty of appearing under the Russian flag at the Games scheduled for 1916. but before this date Finnish sport had to go through its purgatory. ■This was the so-called Baltic Games held in Malmo immediately after the Paris decision. Originally Finland had not intended to compete in these Games, mainly owing to the flag question, but she nevertheless finally participated and her athletes marched at a distance behind the flag of Russia. “The Finnish athletes performed their tasks in such a way that one would have thought the Russian flag was the flag of Finland. •The many acts of oppression aimed by the Russian authorities at Finnish sport and sportsmen had undoubtedly influenced the youth of Finland to prepare themselves for the struggle for independence as soon as the Great War appeared to offer even the faitest chance for success. "And as military trailing was unobtainable elsewhere it was sought from Germany. Among the young

' Finns who travelled secretly to that f country to form the Jaeger Battalion there were many good athletes. "When the Russian Revolution of March, 1917, appeared to provide an opportunity for the achievement of independence, the matter entered its final stages. Among other things a pamphlet, “The present day and the Duties of Sportsmen' was distributed in sporting and athletic circles.

Appeal to Athletic Youth. "In this pamphlet the well-known sporting expert Lauri Pihkala appealed to the athletic youth of the country: Freedom is a treasure ■ which cannot be given as a gift . . . In order to be worthy of our freedom 'I we ourselves must obtain it or at .1 least be prepared to obtain it, and for ’1 its sake risk our all. It is of little I moment whether we live or die. But i the great thing for us and for those . that come after us is to live well, or 1 if we cannot do this, for some of us to : die well. To those who are ready to I i sacrifice, freedom means something. I and I believe that this readiness will come more easily to us sportsmen. : "Pihkala was right! The athletes of Finland have played a great part in the work for independence. “In later years sport has strengthi ened the position of the country in many ways. The success of the Finnish teams at the Antwerp and Paris Olympiads of 1920 and 1924' un- ; doubtedly increased the self-con-fidence of the Finnish people. The later successes at Amsterdam, Los Angeles and Berlin have certainly enhanced Finland's reputation abroad.” Dates on which the various sports . take place in 1940 at. the Games, are: —Athletics, July 21-28; boxing, July 30-August 4; cycling, July 25-30; I wrestling. July 21-29; fencing. July i 21-August 3; modern pentathlon. July ' 21-24; sailing, July 23 30; rifle shoot- ? ing. July 24-27; weight-lifting, July 25-26; canoeing, July 25-27; swimi ming, July 27-August 3; gymnatics, July 29-31; rowing July 30-August 2; t riding, July 30-August 4; football, t July 21-August 3. Space prevents inclusion of other details of Finland's efforts towards , 11940. Further details will be pub- ,-' fished in a later issue.