IMPROVED ATHLETIC FORM EXPECTED IN WEST COAST CENTRE

Wanganui Chronicle, 28 October 1950, Page 8

IMPROVED ATHLETIC FORM EXPECTED IN WEST COAST CENTRE

“In the coming season this centre has great hopes of athletes showing better form, especially in track and field events. The experience gained from competition at the Empire Games and visits to the centres by overseas competitors should help improve the standard,” states the president of the West Coast (North island) Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, Mr. G. A. Benson, in the report he will table at the annual meeting this afternoon. Reviewing the past season, Mr. Benson says 652 athletes were registered within the centre’s area. This was a decrease of 86 on the previous season, bu ! one new club, the Western Districts Athletic Club, affiliated to the cen tre. With visits to the centre of overseas competitors who were in the Dominion for the Empire Games, the season had been an active one, he states. He thanks the clubs who conducted the meetings to coincide with these athletes' visits. Thanks are also expressed for the Wanganui Harrier Club’ action in controlling the West Coast cross-country championships at short notice. Mr. Benscn remark that the harrier clubs are still gaining strength in numbers, especially ot junior members. Referring to K. Forsythe's participation in the national decathlon at Christchurch last season, Mr. Benson states: “He put up a fine performance and should be hard to beat next season.” The balance-sheet shows that the centre made a profit of £3O on the year’s operations, after handling £266. Major expenditure was £76 on athletes’ travelling expenses, but £32 of this was recovered by a levy. The centre’s shares of profits from the visit to Wanganui of the Empire Games athletes and cyclists was £73, and from the West Coast senior and women’s athletic championhips at New Plymouth £67.