SPORTS

WE SAW COMMUNIST CHINA DURING WORLD TABLE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS by NETI DAVIS Competing in the 26th World Table Tennis Championships, together with the trip to Peking in Communist China, was an exhilarating experience for members of the New Zealand table tennis team. The tournament was held in the magnificent new Peking Workers' Stadium. Members of the New Zealand party were Miss Neti Davis, Miss Norma Attwood, Mrs Joan Green, Garry Frew (Whangarei), Murray Dunn (Wellington), Alan Tomlinson (Auckland), Bryan Foster (Dunedin) with Mr Ken Wilkinson (Wellington) manager. The whole trip lasted for one month—the team leaving New Zealand on 24 March and returning on 24 April. Meeting up with the Australian side in Sydney the New Zealanders travelled with them until they parted on different flights at Singapore on the return journey. In Peking three other New Zealanders attended the world championships. They were Mr F. H. G. Johnstone of Christchurch, the president of the NZTTA, Miss Barbara Packwood and Mrs G. Buckler, both of Auckland. Miss Attwood at 14 years of age was probably the youngest-ever New Zealand representative. She is a fourth form pupil at the Whangarei Girls' High School. Miss Davis was also a junior at the time of selection despite the fact that she was the reigning New Zealand champion. Mrs Green captained the women's team, and Murray Dunn the men's team. The party left Whenuapai Airport by TEAL Electra on 24 March, 1961, and arrived in Sydney about three hours later. That same evening the group of Australians and New Zealanders boarded another Electra which took them to Manila in the Philippine Islands. On 26 March another Electra took the combined Australian and New Zealand party to Hong Kong the flight lasting about 2 ½ hours. In Hong Neti Davis in Hong Kong, with Murray Dunn, New Zealand Men's Junior Table Tennis Champion Kong the players met the Japanese side which was also en route to Peking. Included in it were Ichiro Ogimura, Kazuko Yamaizumi (now Mrs Itoh) and Kimiyo Matsuzaki who had all played against the New Zealanders in New Zealand. WALKING ACROSS THE BRIDGE Chinese friends, who operated a tailoring business, guided the New Zealanders around the shops in both Hong Kong (Victoria Island) and Kowloon on the mainland. They also drove them to all of the scenic spots including the Tiger Balm gardens, the floating restaurants at Aberdeen (where the players had sampan rides as well as magnificent meals) and the New Territories district. This was a farming community where the main occupation seemed to be rice growing. It was from this area that the border of the Red China could be seen. Several nights clubs were also visited in Hong Kong. Most of the hotels had their own floor shows.