ITEMS OF SPORT FROM BRITAIN

Wanganui Chronicle, 23 July 1949, Page 5

ITEMS OF SPORT FROM BRITAIN

Finance To Send Team Of Athletes To Empire Games LONDON, July 22 (Recd 6 am).— At a meeting of the Empire Games Appeal Commitee, held in London this week, plans were discussed for raising a fund of £15,000 to cover expenses in connection with the British athletics team for the Empire Games in Auckland. The committee is working on the assumption that a team of approximately 80 will be sent from this country. The president of the Appeal Committee is the secretary ot State for Commonwealth Rrelations, Mr Phillip Noel Baker, and the vice-president is the Earl of Gowrie. The committee includes a number of distinguished people. It has already circularised amateur athletic clubs in all parts of tlie country asking them to organise local appeals. The New Zealand Minister of Finance, Mr. Nash, during his visit to London, discussed questions concerning th e Empire Games finances with Mr. Noel Baker' and assured the British authorities that New Zealand is anxious to receive as large a British team as possible. Mr. Nash attended the English athletic championships at White City last Saturday and assisted in presenting trophies. DURATION OF CRICKET TESTS

In addition to the controversy about three-day tests for the New Zealand cricket team, the M.C.C. is now faced with a further controversy about its decision to allocate only three-day tests to the West Indies when they tour Britain next year. Advocates of four-day tests are pointing out that during the winter of 1947-48, when the M.C.C teaip, under G. O. Allen, visited the West Indies, it lost fawo of the four tests and the other two were drawn. While it is admitted that Allen's side was by no means England's best, it is recalled that the West Indies also beat R. E. S. Wyatt's 1934 team, which included Hammond, Leyland, Hendren, Ames and Fames. One critic remarked that as the West Indies is reported to have developed a battery of fast bowlers, three-day tests might well prove to be more than sufficient. The Dutch Olympic star, Mrs. Fanny Blankers-Koen, who dominated the women’s section of the Olympic Games in London last year, will be seen here again on August 20, when she will run in a triangular contest between Britain, the Netherlands and France at White City. It is unlikely that the French woman star, Mademoiselle Micheline Ostermeyer who won the Olympic discus and shot-putting titles will be a member of the French team. Ostermeyer has now abando* -d shot putting in favour of piano playing, and is studying to become a concert artist. IRON CURTAIN IN SPORT Bad feeling which has developed between countries behind the iron curtain and those in the West over sporting matters is likely to be accentuated by the decision of the British Amateur Athletic Board to refuse to send a British team to the Sokol Games, to be held in Prague, Czechoslovakia. in September. A cable from the British authorities announcing this decision, stated they thought it unwise “in the present circumstances” to send a team. Officials of the Amateur Athletics Board steadfastly refused to explain or expand, this statement. It is, however, an open secret' that the British authorities fear a repetition of political incidents, and that they are determined not to allow their teams to become objects of political demonstrations.

It was the Sokol organisation which demanded the withdrawal of the Czech tennis stars Drobny and Cernik from the Swiss tennis championships last week. Plans had been made to send a team of 60 British men and women athletes to Prague.—Special N.Z.P.A. Correspondent.