REVIVAL OF ATHLETICS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 108, 31 January 1919, Page 6

WELLINGTON MEETING IN MARCH PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS MOOTED Amateur athletics have suffered a rather eat! eclipse during the period of tho war, as. almost without exception, our athletes toed the mark in the greatest international meeting of all times, and acquitted themselves heroically. .A movement is now afoot in Wellington to revive, amateur athletics. The lead has been taken by the Wellington Amateur Athletic Club, which proposes to hold a meeting during March next. To that end Messrs. A. Marryatt, A. Davies, and W. HV Pollock waited on the Reserves Committee of the City Council yesterday afternoon. Mr. W. H. Pollock eaid that probably amateur athletics had been harder hit. than any other form of eport by the war, and their endeavour was to'try and revive an interest in athletics among the younger men in Wellington, as it was a foregone conclusion that many of those who had been through the war would not be able to take up the sport again. They represented the Wellington Amateur Athletic Club, and it was their desire to hold a meeting in March, on a date to be fixed, on the Basin Eeserve. They had no funds. Formerly, there were two rooms in tho pavilion available to those in training, and he asked the committee that at least one of those , rooms—one with a shower bath—should be made available for twelve months at a nominal rentaf Tor the men who would be, training. He understood that these rooms were at present in the occupation of the Cricket Association, but he anticipated no difficulty on that score. Mr. I Pollock stated that the benefits of ath- ! letics on our young men were obvious, I and it was the" aim oMbe club to bring on the younger men to the same 6tanI Sard of athletic perfection which had characterised them in Wellington before tho war. Mr. A. Davies said that they did not wish to hamper th» Cricket Association lin any way! That body had in the past i always met them in a very fair spirit. ! If they could lie given the use of the ! Basin Reserve for a date in March, they i could then arrange with the Association j the exact date. . ■ The chairman (Mr. Geo. Frost) said he was sure the committee would Ire pleased to allow file club the use of the Reserve for p. Saturday half-day in March. Thev would consult with the Oicket Association, and lei them know the exact date later on. There was one vacant room in the pavilion which no doubt could be made availabe for trainin? purposes. ' Incidentally Mr. Pollock mentioned that they had applied for the use of the Reserve for an evening meetin? on Wednesday, February 5, of which fact 'the chairman made a note. Tn connection with the evening meting the events would be as follow:—IN) yard , ;, HO yards, one mile, and a 220 yards race for boys under 17 years of ape. who belonged to football chiln. There is a possibility that the March meting may see the reviva of the provincial championship. An apnlication to "UTV-p'iiimriinnsMi) "vents ft (lin mi*>tiiiK i« to V made to the local centre of the N.Z.A.A.A. As the several amateur athletic clubs may be too weak—as the result of tho war—to do much individually this year, it is mooted that (without losing their identity) they might nil come together, say, for twelve months, in order to place the sport on a firm basis once more: