Swimmers Make Apology

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31004, 9 March 1966, Page 14

Swimmers Make Apology

The action of several swimmers in deserting the New Brighton carnival on the night of February 12 to go to the beach has had a sombre sequel. On behalf of the Canterbury Swimming Centre, the president (Mr S. Williams) has taken official action; the centre’s secretary (Mr E. D. Kwok) has received written apologies from the competitors concerned. Reporting on the matter to a meeting of the centre’s management committee last night, Mr Williams said he had told the swimmers he had been charged with the responsibility of investigating the de-

sertions and had received individual excuses in private. Mr Williams said a special meeting of the committee had empowered him to reduce the centre’s grant to those swimmers taking part in the national championships by £2, if he felt it was warranted. However, after hearing the evidence, he had decided not to follow this course. Instead, he had said the centre would (require an apology from each ■ competitor. “It was apparent that matters at New Brighton were far from satisfactory.” said Mr Williams. “In future we must take a fairly close look at applications to hold carnivals

there, particularly on a Saturday night” Mr Williams agreed with Miss Doreen Brown that the entire incident bad arisen out of late entries from the Wharenui club. Mr Williams praised the performances of the Canterbury representatives in the Napier Olympic pool. He said February 25, the day on which Canterbury swimmers won five gold medals, would be remembered as a red letter day. The resignation of Mr J. K. West as registrar for the centre was received, and accepted. Mr West was appointed at the annual meeting last September.