Tennis VISITING PLAYERS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 206, 16 September 1937, Page 14

Tennis VISITING PLAYERS

"Volleyer.")

Should They Be Invited To New Zealand? PGLICY CRITICISED i p j*

(By

At a recent meeting of the New New Zealand Lawn Tennis Assoit was disclosed that there was little likelihodd of any English or foreign players visiting New Zealand this summer. Presumably for this reason the snemhers cf the New Zealand Lawn Tennft Assoeiation, "after a lengthy discnssion in committee, made a recommendation to the management committee that Stedman and Malfroy be invited to visit New Zealand and play in tournaments." New Zealand tennis players would iike to knOw why this discussion took place in committee. If, as is probably the case, the travelling expenses of these two well-known players are to be paid by the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Assoeiation, why should this be kept secret from the public? It has apparently been realised that the policy of paying expenses for overseas stars to collect our championship trophies is not popular; but if so why' persist in that policy? Many' tennis players in this country would welcome the chance to meet ola acquaintances in Allan Stedman anu Gamille Malfroy, whose tennis skill enabled.them to acquire positions in the sports department of Dunlops, Ltd. But if the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Assoeiation has money to spend, would it not be better spent in encouraging the younger generation of New Zealand players, whose clubs contributed to the finance of the controlling tfody? Last summdr four boys were sent from this country f o Australia to gaiu tennis " experience. * When the question of sending a similar women 's team this teeason • was discussed, it was decided that there were no suitable players skilful enOugh to merit consideration. This may be so, but presumably the powers that be want to raise tlie standard of New Zealand tennis. If Stedman and Malfroy ,'give exhibitions in New Zealand, a lot of people will watch and admire, and the Lawn Tennis Assoeiation will recoup some' of its expenditure. But exhibitions can be seen at a cinema, where slow:motion films are peculiarly suitable for the illustration of tenuis strokes. If another team of four juniors was sent to Australia, their total expenses would not amount to more than thoso of the players from England; even if we have no juniors of outstaiiding ability, there is no reason why they should not improve. Moreover, they would return to this country and hand on to others the benefits of their experience against the players of Australia, where the standard of play is equal to that of any European nation. ' If these junior teams eould be sent aeross the Tasman at regular intervals, the chance of inclusion would offer ,a wonderful incentive for improvement among the younger tennis players of New Zefiland.