EMPIRE GAMES SWIMMING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 110, 22 February 1950, Page 7

EMPIRE GAMES SWIMMING

AUCKLAND CENTRE’S CRITICISM (P.A.) AUCKLAND,. February 21. “It was exasperating to find that for the most important swimming meeting ever held in New Zealand, marked by excellent performances and intense public interest, administration alone was below standard,” said a report on swimming events at the Bi’itish Empire Games approved by the Auckland Swimming Centre this evening. “If Aucklanders, with their expei’ience of "conditions at the Olympic Pool, had been encouraged to offer their opinions, swimming would’ have been much better organised,” said the report. The centre “recorded its conviction that faulty administration was because of the attitude of the dii’ector (Mr J. C. Kirkland, of Invercargill), the president of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association (Mr Baxter O’Neill, of Christchurch), and the joint secretary for swimming (Mr N. N. Oldershaw, of Wellington) in disregarding the opinions of qualified Aucklanders and in excluding them from the final organisation and control of the events.

By direction of the centre the report is to be dispatched to the New Zealand council, Messrs Kirkland and Oldershaw, the organising committee of the Empire Games, and all affiliated Auckland clubs.

ORGANISATION OF GAMES AUSTRALIAN PRAISE FOR N.Z. SYDNEY, Feb. 21. “Almost unanimously Australians who saw the Empire Games agree that New Zealand did herself grand in the role of host nation to the rest of the British Empire,” says E. E. Christensen, in to-day’s issue of the Sydney “Sun.” Christensen represented the Sydney “Sun” at the Empire Games. " “There were one or two minor incidents, such as are inevitable on big sporting occasions,' but experienced observers were agreeably surprised at the scarcity of these occurrences.” Christensen gives a number of instances of hospitality al Auckland, Ardmore Village and Karapiro which he considers were above anything which could be reasonably expected. He commends the organising committee for making a financial surplus to hand o\fer to the New Zealand Olympic and Empire Games Association. Christensen pays a tribute to the efficiency of the paid secretary (Mr C. L. Cleal) and of the press sub-com-mittee under Mr Aubrey Tronson and the press liaison officer (Mr J. Lloyd). “The games were a grand success,” Christensen adds. “If Melbourne can maintain a similar standard and win equal praise from so many varied quarters for the. 1956 Olympics, its organisers can pride themselves on a job very well executed.”