Sports ambassador title for Hadlee

Press, 13 February 1986, Page 38

Sports ambassador title for Hadlee

PA Wellington Richard Hadlee is to be made an honorary sports ambassador this weekend. The Minister of Recreation and Sport, Mr Moore, confirmed yesterday that the champion cricketer would receive the title at his testimonial match in Wanganui on Sunday. A total of 32 full and 24 honorary sports and cultural ambassadorships have been awarded since the programme was started at Mr Moore’s initiative in late 1984. Full ambassadors receive $5OOO each but the honorary ones are not paid. Hadlee will not be paid, Mr Moore said, because financial resources were committed, a point which

was accepted by the bowler’s sponsors. A total of $200,000 was allocated to the programme this year.

Mr Moore said that the Government would reduce the number of honorary ambassadors it appoints in future.

“I’m only going to give them out very sparingly when people ask for them rather than saying we can’t give you any money but we can give you a piece of cardboard,” he said.

A Government review of the programme late last year highlighted good and bad aspects of it, Mr Moore said. It showed that while some ambassadors had received a good deal of attention from the private sector, some had

"disappeared.” Mr Moore said he was going to ask the Market Development Board to look at how greater use might be made of the ambassadors, for example at trade fairs. On balance, however, the programme was innovative and a “smart idea,” Mr Moore said. By tagging the title of ambassador to such people as the Wellington poet, Sam Hunt, ballet and dance groups and sports people, New Zealand had gained more publicity and more goodwill abroad, he said. Hadlee said last evening that he could not comment on the award because he had heard nothing from the Minister or his department.