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THE NEXT OLYMPIAD

TO BE HELD AT ANTWERP REPRESENTATION FOR NEW ZEALAND

Although, us I hare'mentioned on several occasions (says Mr. R. Coombes in tho "Svdney ltofereo"), it has been decided that tho Seventh Olympiad will lie hold under tho auspices of the Heleinus at Antwerp in 1920, it was only by tho Inst mail i'rom Switzerland that oihoi;)l word on the subject came to hand from Baton Pierro de Coubertin, founder and uresident of tho International Olymnic Committee. And incidentally by tho samo mail camo full particulars or the Meeting of the 1.0.C., held at Lausauno cnrlr in Auril. at which the decision to hold tho immes in 1920 was arrived at, and also English and French Pre6s reborts of more or less sharp criticism of the proposal. However, before dealing with tho Seventh Olympiad, it appears desirable to throw some light on tho International Olympio Committee, its iwrsonnel. and its workings, because a considerable amount of misconception on the subiect eeenis to prevail.

How Committee is Arranged. Tim International Olympic Committee is a bodv of specially chosen representatives of uractically every civilised nation in tho world, although at the present iimoture tho representatives of Germany, Vustria. Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey i'.ro deharred from taking their seats, whilst no competitors from tho nations named can compete at Olympiads—not for a Mriocl. Nt any rate. In each countrv where there is a representative ou tho International Olympic Committee there is or should be, an Olympic Uunci, whose duties aro to eguip and dispatch foams, to the representative on the 1.0.C. is merely tho channel by which, or through whom, all com : 11'uiiiicafcions between the said council ami lOC i>a«s. 'l'ho representative of a countrv on the 1.0.C. ia not appointed bv the Olympic Council o£ that country, nnitmu- is he answerable to that council. He issnecially chosen by reason of what nn> believed to bo special qualifications and uersonality, and then a infill vote is taken amongst the whole of the memhpra of the 1.0.C.-and the vote decides whether ho is elected or rejected.

Australia and New Zealand. To illustrate' the position from the standpoint of men, matters, and-events near to home, let me mention that for some twenty-five years past Australia and New Zealand combined, undor the designation of Australasia, have had a reliresanbt.ivn on the 1.0.C. And so long ns the Commonwealth and the Dominion were combined (hey were represented by n combined team, with any points scored bv either Australians or Isew Zealandcrs eoiiir down to the credit of Australasia. Dach State (or the majority of theml has its Olympic Council, as has New Zealand, and the whole are federated under the designation of the OlymTiic Federation of Australia and . New Sfealand. On the 1.0.C. determining to lrtild tho Seventh Olympiad at Antwerp m 1920 (I was. of course, invited to attend tho meeting, at Lausanne last April, which came to such findingj word had rn be sent to each member of the who in turn, had to inform the Olyinnio. Council of his country. I was not present at tire Lausanne meeting, but recorded a vott> in favour of Belgium gettine tho first Olympiad , after the war ended As before mentioned, official word came to hand by tho last mail, and as the rouresentative of Australia «na Nbw Zealand on tho 1.0.C., I at once niiiciallv notified Mr. A. G. de L. Arnold, lion, secretory to our Olympic Federfttioji. with Die request that all State Olvmnic Councils within the federation be informed. ■ ' Now Zealand Separates. Bv tho same mail came word of an important happening so far as £ew Zealand is concerned. For some time prfo o tho war there had been made manifest a desiro in tlie.Doiuimon-by a fippHon of its sportsmen at. any ratehat New Zealajur should senate from Australia in Olympic matters. _r lns desire I conveyed to tho president of the lOC with a strong recommendation ha hm Zealand should bo given ~ representativo of her own on the: .1.0.C. The representatives assembled at. tho Lausanne conference agreed to the eug-MBtton-and as a. consequence New Zeafwfd will have a separate representative -a mail vote is being taken throughout the world, enemy countries barred, on tho question of an appointment at the Pl Z nt c™ences of this separation we that in future Now Zealand must eclect and equip her own team and defray the expenses of same, while any points scored by Dominion "presenta. tivea at tho Olympic games will be A* AM to New Zealand-and ngonet otto nations, including Austria. I may incidentally here menhqi that on receipt of this news -word was at wee dispatched to Mr. B. A. tee of Weiliii"ton, hon. secretary to the Aew Zealand Olympic Council. Misconceptions Removed. Having thus made clear (or at least 1 hope so), the position of affairs in connection with Olympic matters, I bit make a few Temnrks about tho Seventh Olympiad to toko place at Antwerp next year, and also about the criticism levelled at the decision arrived at. Suoh criticism as I have seen appears to bo concentrated on the shortness of tho time for preparation, Mud on a misconception of facts. For example, it is reported that at a meeting of the French Olympic committee in Pans the loiiowiircr resolutions were carried:— • . ■ "That the French will not compete at an Olympiad where Germans, AnsWans, Hungarians, Bulgarians ami Turks aro afforded fellowship, such as the Baron is said to favour. That they will not accent an invitation to compel* at Olympic Games if that be issued i>7 tho International Olympic Committee on which dolegates from enemy countries are "That the Games should not twheld bofroe 1921. ns there cannot possibly Uβ sufficient time to make tho necessary preparations amonj? the^ Allies for such an important concourse." Enemy Countries Bamd. Now Baron Coubortin does not favour fellowship to our late opponents in tno war-in the course of a letter to nip. from Liuisnnne. last December, he stated that thov would not be allowed to compete, whilst it is evident the represonta-tivw-.of enemy nations on the 1.U.0. cannot tnlre their sents at present. With regard to the time beinj .too short to allow of tho successful revnal of tho games taking .place in 1929, that in a matter of opiniou-the Belgians don't think it too short at any rate and their preparations are far advanced. -It may be, and doubtless will be, hard to gat fully representative teams m Hie cases of "the United KiMdom and France but it appeara to me that tho best «a to proceed is for all to do thei best thej can, and accept tho situation as it St This - topic will bo further discussed next week.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19190721.2.11

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 253, 21 July 1919, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,120

THE NEXT OLYMPIAD Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 253, 21 July 1919, Page 2

THE NEXT OLYMPIAD Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 253, 21 July 1919, Page 2

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