"OUR CHAMPIONS."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 602, 2 September 1909, Page 6

"OUR CHAMPIONS."

athletes received at the town ." : -'. '/; ■■■■.:- .hall. ;' ; -.■■■.- , .several interesting speeches. Among the passengers by the s.s. Warrimoo from Sydney-yesterday were-the majority of the. member? of the team which so worthily upheld the athletic- honour of JS'ew- Zealand at the. .recent , Australasian Amateur Athletic Championships.. Thoso who ; returned; wore: Kerv.(walker), M'Kay (pole jumper), Keildel! (hurdler); andDickson and -M'Knight (long-dis-tance runners):. Woodger (sprinter) stayed in' Sydney on holidays, and Moore (the' Marathon competitor) is remaining in Queensland; where* hsrintends to settle. Mr. Bridge (manager of the'team) and 'Mr. J. H. Pollock (who, with Mr. Bridge, :i'epresented the N.Z.A.A.A. at the conference under the auspices of. tho Australasian. A.A. Union), also came back yesterday.' Despite the -inconvenient hour at which tho vessel-berthed,.'a large crowd of well-wishers, who heartily cheered the t*am., w«re on the wharf. Shortly, after 5 o'clock, thn team was welcomed nt the Concert Chamber, of the Town Hdll;' '.which ' was well filled. -Upon tho platform seats, were'occupied by tho Mayor, Dr. bowman (who ,is also president of the N.Z.A:A.A.), several M.P's., city councillors, officials connected with various amateur bodies, aud the victorious athletes. The proceedings throughout .were marked by considerable enthusiasm. .••*■■.'. • ' -.

\ Dr. Newman said that those, present had "assembled to welcome home "our champions." At the outset Now Zealanders. had been quito confident that their team would again bring back the banner, but when flaskins, Orhell, and Wallace intimated that they would'not be able to make the journey they.had all become somewhat nervous. It was therefore pleasing to note that, with' a weakened .team, New Zealand. had won seran and a half out of fifteen championships, or, * in other words, as many ns the representatives of all the other States put together. (Loud applause.) He recalled how Mr., Coombes, of Sydney, had told them thnt they ought not.to be too confident about retaining Hie "banner. Among other things, Miv.-Coombes had said that Kerr would have a hard row to hoe to beat Harley, the South African champion walker. In reply, he had told Mr. Coombes'that, no'matter how fast Harley was, they we're prepared to back Kerr. . (Applause.) /-The.fact that Kerr had traversed one mile in fimin. 33seo at Brisbane showed that he was even in bettef form than when he went to. represent New Zealand at the Olympian Games. He (the speaker) was one of many who ivould like to see Kerr sent Homo to compete at the English championships. (Loud cheers.) As regards Keddell, whom tho "selectors" did not. at, first* consider good enough .to be sent, all he need say wns that he had brought homo two championships, besides gaining a second, which was a very meritorious performance.' ' (Applause.)' Those who. were .."in tho swim" neve'r had anj- doubt but that Dicksori would secure the championship for which he was entered. (Applause.) Besides the fact that his pole was broken by another competitor, Jl'Kay, who gained only half (V win in the vaulting, was handicapped by the : lack of practice, owing to wet 'weather.' With-respect to.M'Knight, who was sent by his Duriedin 'friends, Uis opinion had always been that ho wae "drawn too fine" to win a bi|j championship. No wins lind given grpater satisfaction that those attained ** by Woodger. (Loud applause.) When Mr. Coombes was here, he had remarked .that, fast as Woodger;/might be,, thoy ' would find that. he. was' no match i for Nigel Barker. How Woodger had beaten Barker over tho hundred -yards and i 220 yards, ■ was well ■ known to. all. If Woodger got well off .'the -mark when he met the noted Walker during his proposed.tour of.the Dominion, it would ne found that the New Zealandor would thoroughly oitend. the English, and South African champion. (Apr, pl.ause.) Followers of athletics' in New' Zealand ■ would also like to ..Bee .'.Dickson*; competing "against Ecfferon,. who, .'■' it' ■w"as ' probable, would', visit" the, Domih-. (on: ' From'the. Auckland Centre.a telegram 6f welcome and congratulations to the team had just been received.; (Applause.) .' Ho thought that New Zealand had every reasonto bo proud or her athletes, who always did thei: level best to worthily represent her. on and off the field. ; (Loud .applause.) ...There was" only..'one, thing New.Zealanders could not do, and that.was. to .play ctickot. (Laughter.) He moved: "That jthisjiieetiitg heartily,,..welcomes home their every prosperity; !in the -future."' (Loud applause.) ' •' ' '■■ - r ;,--!lr.-G.---H. Dixon; , who/seconded the motion,' said that, he' wished, on' behalf of the ataateur footballers* throughout the Dominion,-to extend his congratulations to the returned athletes. It must.have been gratifying to every lover of 'sport to see tho New Zealanders jo so splendidly at the recent championships.. What was specially pleasing was the fact that tho athlotes wero amateurs. (Loud applause.) The motion-, was-then- carried by acclamation. * : ....;.:

Mr.-Bridge (m reply) stated that be was very proud .of tho way'in which the niembors of the team had acquitted- themselves, both on and off the field. (Applause.)... In view of some of the inconveniences to whioh thoy were subjected it was pleasing to. record-that-no discordant note had been uttored during the trip. ■Hβ tnought that it spoke;volumes'for. the men that they Old-so excellently after having spent 29 hours' ma secoiid-dass carnage (whero they could not .lie down) on the way from Sydnoy to Brisbane ■ It.,wastrue that M'Knight had not score- a win., but; his-services had been invaluable to Dickson in the three miles run. (Applause.) Moore-had hard luck in connection with the Marathon. . When he 'was lying .seventh or oighth, at 20 miles', ho twisted his knee. That he gamed ninth plaeo, after' walking the last tve miles, showed .what a good chance he would have had,if h 9 had not injured his-leg. (AnHe (Mr. Bridge) would like oi-behalf of the team, to thank all who had hoiped to .Wake-their, trip •■■enjoyable. In particular ho referreoVto .Mr., Co.ombes, president . of. the A.A.A. Union, .who had inter' .alia coached members of the, team and to the officials of the 'A.A.A. Umon,;who had entertained the teaman honour which they' hail not conferred on_ any. > other- State team. (Applause.) Kefcmng to Woodger's successes, ho.suid thai' ■although Barker, might not "have been at his bsst,.his performance in the «0 yards showed that there n-as not very muoh wrong with him it also mentioned by Mr. Bridgo. that Hellaron, .whom' it was expected would visit the colonies, had,,according^--the latest files turned professional. "-. • ■~ " . . '. . Mr. -Pollock considered that, in being sent as a delegate to the conference, a very great honour had been .conferred upon him. He proceeded'to say that the, reason why M'lCay had not scored a full win in the polo jump ■was- that nnother competitor broke his pole. According to the rules, any •competitor could use any. pole, that was- on the ground. Ho described tho best of the remaining poles as resembling a. punt pole, with whioh it was impossible to vault any. height. (Laughter.) It had been impressed on- them to see that ho more championships were held in winter time, anil they had carried , a, resolution to that effect by one vole. (Applause.) Another matter which had been'agreed upon was the establishment of Olympian councils intho: different States, which would embrace representatives of. evor.v-branch of amateur *%„}■ H «,?nd had also guaranteed illOO: on,behalf of the association towards tho cost of bringing Walker,' the famous-sprinter, and another, champion to the colonies. (Applause.) As Walker would perform.in the four chief cities of New Zealand it would mean only .£25 to bo guaranteed by each of the principal- centres. It was South Australia's turnfdr. the championships next year, but,.as the association in that State was practically dormant, it had -been resolved that tho next ■championships should be held'in New Zealand. (Loud applause.). With a view to making thorn n success,' they had asked the representatives of .other States to do their best to ensure that each was fully represented for the occasion. (Loud, applause.) The medals won'by the members of tho team in , attendance were, then presented by tho Mayor, amid applause. On, behalf■ of the teara, Messrs. Keddell and mtay briefly, replied. In, the course of his remarks, the former declared that ho had had the easiest task of all tho lnembors. (Cries of "No.") He was disappointed, however,: fhat be' had''not had. a chanco to meet Davis, tho noted' Victorian; Half the success of. the team was, ho added, undoubtedly-due lo tho efforts of Mr.. Bridgo on behalf of members. (Loud applause.) . , Before thoso present dispersed, hearty cheers were given for the team, the manager; and the Mayor. ■■■ . - •■■' ..-■•',