ATHLETICS

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 430, 20 October 1898, Page 7

ATHLETICS

[By

Vigilant.]

The formation of an amateur sports club in Auckland, on somewhat similar lines to the successful institution now in full swing in New South Wales, is being energetically pushed forward, and it is anticipated that the club will be an established fact in the course of two or three weeks. The Rugby Union, Cricket Association, and Swimming Club have already pronounced in favor of the Club, and as the movement has the co-operation and support of the Auckland Amateur Athletic Club there should be no difficulty in successfully launching this desirable institution with a membership worthy of the centre.

Mr F. W. Edwards, local officer of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, has recommended the removal of the disqualification placed on T. Roberts by the Shore Club some fifteen or eighteen months since. From reports to hand of the New South Wales Amateur Athletic Association’s championship meeting it appears that the wind was slightly In favor of the runners in the sprint races—100yds professional and amateur championships —won by C. Rogers and Stanley Rowley respectively in 1 Osec. As both men won by the same margin the question as to who is the fastest sprinter in that colony is still a moot point. It has been pointed out by Dr. Jennings and other delegates that the granting of permission by the New Zealand A. A. A. to affiliated clubs to place cash cycle races on their programmes will be a breach of faith with the English Association, and will probably lead to the Colonial Association Association being cut adrift by the parent body, with which it is at present affiliated. If this proyed to be the case New Zealand athletes would not be allowed to compete against the amateurs in England.

The Auckland Amateur Athletic and Cycle Club has forwarded a resolution to the N.Z. A. A. A. strongly protesting against the placing of League events on amateur clubs’s programmes, the granting of which the club considers would be a direct breach of faith with the N.Z. Cyclists’ Alliance and the Auckland Club, The whole question of cycling will be brought up again by the N.Z. A. A.A. at a special meeting next month, on a motion by Mr Selig, who asks that this should be done. Mr A. L. Baird is busying himself while in England in making enquiries concerning the proposed visit to the Old Country in 1900 of an Australasian team of athletes. It is anticipated that the new pavilion at the Domain Cricket Ground will be completed before the November carnival of the A.A.A. and C.C. The executive of the Queensland Amateur Athletic Association has decided that the next Australasian Amateur Championships shall be held in August of 1899, and that the meeting shall extend over two days. G. R. Gray, the famous shot-putter, and winner of the American and Canadian championships at shot-putting for a number of years, at the Caledonian sports at Ottawa, Canada, on August 1, put the 161 b shot 48ft sin, breaking the world’s record (his own) of 47ft. He also put the 141 b shot 52ft lOin, breaking the world’s record of 49ft 3in, also made by himself. G. B. Tincler (says an American paper) will retire from the cinder track at the close of the present season. He has defeated all the crack professional runners of the world, and when he returns to England he intends to arrange another series with Bacon, and after these races he will attempt to lower the professional records for the one and two miles, held by W. B. George and W. Lang respectively. The former’s record is 4min and the latter’s 9min lljsec. He has been offered a good position in England, and he intends to settle down for the remainder of his life after his trials for the world’s record. Robert Fitzsimmons has issued another challenge. He says there are but five men now worth considering, and advises these five to fight and determine the best man. He will fight that man. Also, he offers to fight Jeffries before Ist October, and posts his money, £5OO, to bind the match. James J. Corbett has replied: “ I see that Fitzsimmons, the erstwhile hero of an accident, is out with a challenge to fight the best man in the world. With strange and suggestsve insincerity he points to Jeffries as the only man that can fill the bill, choosing to forget that I used to whip Jeffries every morning before breakfast at Carson City. If this red-headed fakir really wants to meet the best man in the world, why doesn’t he fight me ? These are my last words —If Fitzsimmons really wants to fight the best man in the world, let me fight Jeffries and then Fitz may fight the winner.”