BASKETBALL

Te Ao Hou, June 1959, Page 71

BASKETBALL Outdoor basketball has a large number of Maori girls and women in competition. There are two associations, the Auckland Women's Basketball Association and the Catholic Women's League. Both associations have Maori teams competing. Also many of the girls play in other teams. The Queen Victoria Maori Girls' College has proved in the nature of a nursery for many Auckland representatives have come from the college. One of Auckland's most prominent players is Miss June Waititi, who has represented Auckland for many years and has also played for North Island which she captained in 1958. Miss Waititi has also proved a capable coach of the college team and when the school meet their coach in the competition games, there are no beg pardons! Mrs May Smith, about whom so much has been written, is one of Auckland's outstanding sports-women. Whether it be outdoor or indoor basketball or softball, May Smith can foot it with the best. Her daughters also play good basketball, whilst her son George shows promise as an indoor basketballer. Indoor basketball is well organised in Auckland. With its headquarters at the Maori Community Centre, the Maori Youth Movement Indoor Basketball League conducts an annual winter competition. The league is one of the four constituting the Auckland Association, with headquarters at the Y.M.C.A. The Maori Youth Movement's League is open to all and one year there was a Chinese team playing in their competition. The proportion of Maori and pakeha in the league would be approximately half and half, with some teams composed entirely of Maori players. There is one men's team called Akarana and two ladies teams, one Akarana and the other M.C.C. The president is a Maori, Mr Rautahi, who is well known in sporting circles in Auckland. His aim is to create an inter-town provincial Maori Competition in indoor basketball so anybody interested should contact Mr Rautahi, C/o. Maori Community Centre, Auckland. Here again, as in outdoor basketball, the names of Miss Waititi and Mrs Smith loom large. Both are consistent Auckland and North Island representatives and have been selected for a New Zealand team. Their advice in playing techniques and tactics is widely sought and being the fine sportswomen they are, they are always available for coaching sessions.