OLYMPIC VILLAGE PRESENCE

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28265, 1 May 1957, Page 5

OLYMPIC VILLAGE PRESENCE

Mr J. L. Squire Defended A s’rong protest at the published statements of Mr J. G. Barnes. M.P., about the presence of Mr J. L. Squire at the Olympic village in Melbourne during the Olympic Games was made at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Hockey Association in Christchurch yesterday by the secretary (Mr W. H. Down). Mr Down was referring to a comment made by Mr Barnes that Mr Squiire had interfered in affairs of the New Zealand team at the Olympic Village. “Seeing that Mr Barnes made his criticism public, I feel it is high time we defended Mr Squire, who is this association’s delegate on the Olympic and British Empire Games Association,” said Mr Down. “With our hockey team arriving in Melbourne late, the manager and assistant manager had their hands full, and Mr Squire was of great assistance at that time. He did not at any time interfere, and did only what he was asked to do. “I feel that Mr Barnes’s comment was most unfair criticism,’’ said Mr Down. A Southland delegate, Mr H. S. Cordery, said he was pleased that the position of Mr Squire had been made clear. He could not believe that Mr Squire would have interfered in any way. Trophy Received A trophy given by Mr L. P. Coffey, of the West Coast, was received at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Hockey Association yesterday. The trophy will be allocated to a major match by the association’s management committee.