ATHLETES' STATUS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 21, 26 January 1938, Page 13

ATHLETES' STATUS

MASTERTON SEQUEL

ALLEGATION EXPLODED

N.O-A.A.A. INQUIRY

Much Kus been made in certain quarters Of an alleged irregularity at the sports^ meeting which was held at Masterton on Anniversary Day. But there is nothing in the allegation. That is the official attitude, in terms of a decision made by the council of' the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association at a special meeting today.

Yesterday afternoon there were reports going the rounds in athletic circles in Wellington that the amateur status of the three Trinidad athletes and their manager, all coloured men, who took part in the meeting to help stretch their legs after their arrival that day in Wellington from the West Indies, was likely to be called into question. A weekly newspaper, issued today, contained an article on the subject, in the course of which the statement is made that through competing in an event in which A. L. Fitch, the Wellington Amateur Athletic Centre's coach, took part, the Trinidad athletes have forfeited their amateur status and that the local athletes associated with the coach at the time are also affected.

The Press Association message published in "The Post" on Monday giving a summary of the principal events made no mention of a relay contest having taken place between the Trinidad athletes at Masterlon another team with Fitch as a member. But in another message sent from Masterton, not published in "The Post," mention was made that "an exhibition relay between New Zealand and Trinidad was also decided, the New Zealand team, of which Fitch was a member, being victorious." The detailed results in this message also contained a reference to an exhibition relay, the New Zealand team with its personnel being shown as having won and the Trinidad team as having been second.

The inference drawn from the wording of this report apparently was that a race had been held, and if this was the case the matter was, of course, a serious one for the. Trinidad athletes and the New Zealand athletes- who took part, because of Fitch being a professional. Clause 2, sub-section 3, of the rules governing amateur status states that in. track and field athletic sports one' who knowingly competes with,' or against, a professional, thereby becomes a professional. The first question, therefore, was whether there was a contest. N.Z.A.A.A. DECISION. The allegation of the breach of the rules having been circulated and having come to the notice of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, the council held an inquiry without delay. This took' place at lunch-time today, and unanimously and without hesitation the council decided that no contest had taken place and that all that had been done was that Fitch, at the end of the programme of events, in his capacity as a coach, had arranged an exhibition with the object of giving a practical demonstration to the visitors from Trinidad and local athletes of the American method of batonchanging for sprint relay competition. The council further held that none of those who took part in the exhibition had in any way infringed their amateur status. The meeting of the council was pre-. sided over: by the president;-: Mr. R. W. ; McVilly, who said that the meeting had been called together to make an inquiry into "this alleged irregularity at Masterton.". After that the council went into committee to hear the evidence of Mr. F. Bond, chairman, and Mr. A. D. -Rowse, secretary, of the Wellington Amateur Athletic Centre, who were present at the Masterton meeting, and also the coach, Mr. Fitch. The brief discussion which followed was also in committee. .Apart from completely exonerating those associated with the "incident" irom the charge made against them, the council, in order to ensure; no question arising at the. British Empire Games in Sydney "as to the eligibility of. the Trinidad athletes, decided to send a cablegram to Mr. H. McCormick, manager of the New Zealand team, advising him of the.decision, and also! to advise the Trinidad athletes, who are now at Auckland. At the same time, the council took the view, so that there will be no possibility of a mistake being made, that the Wellington Centre should be advised of the inadvisability of allowing any exhibition to be staged by Mr. Fitch where there is any element of doubt as to such exhibition being classed as a contest and the status of the athletes competing, thereby affected. LOCAL ATHLETE'S VERSION. One of the members of the so-called New Zealand team for the demonstration or exhibition .was C. Robinson, the Wellington provincial sprint champion, the others, apart ' from Fitch, being C. Hausman (Masterton), and R. Murch (Pahiatua). When, prior to the meeting of the N.Z.A.A.A. Council, he was asked for his version of what took place at Masterton, Mr. Robinson said thai Mr. Fitch took great pains to emphasise and impress upon everyone that it was an exhibition for the purpose of giving a practical demonstration only, and not a race, and that there were to be no officials, no time taken, and no tape. ■• The centre secretary, Mr. Rowse, had also told a Press representative that it was not a race, but purely an exhibition. Mr. Robinson added that the coach had left no doubt in his mind that it was an exhibition only.

Mr. Fitch, after the meeting of the N.Z.A.A.A. Council, told "The Post" representative that he knew the rules and would not have done anything to endanger the status of New Zealand athletes, let alone the visitors, • who had come a long way to compete at the Empire Games. He said that the Trinidad athletes had asked him to demonstrate the baton change, and after giving them instruction he. had got three other athletes together bo as to give a practical demonstration. That was all there was to it.

When he was approached this afternoon, Mr. Bond, the chairman of the centre, stated that an announcement was made by the megaphonist on the ground that there was to be no contest, but an exhibition only.