Sporting Sprints.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 60, 3 May 1912, Page 13

Sporting Sprints.

Sam Langford, though 3st. heavier than Hughie Alehegan, is actually an inch shorter than Australia's lightweight champion. •• _ * A well-known English Association football captain, in comparing Soccer with Rugger, says that from a boy's point of view he would declare in favor cf the handling code, the scrimmaging and forward work of which is of immense advantage in tho general development of a boy, especially in that imSortant part of his anatomy, tlie shoulers. * * . * New Zealand will send a Northern Union football team to Australia •gain this year, while it is more than likely that an Australian team will visit New Zealand as well. AFTER EVERY FIGHT. We meet him on the tram and boat, We bump him on tho train; Ho corners us ashore, afloat, Escape from him is vain; H© buttonholes us morn and night, His language flowing free — **Why, strike mc pink, he had to fight The blanky referee!" —"Worker," N.S.W. * * » Despite tho fact that the New Zealand Boxing Council last year sent a' team to the Australasian champion(Aips at Brisbane —a long and expon-; twe journey—that body has a credit I fcalance of £104 13s. 7d., which the anAnal report considers very satisfactory. ; " *- i The Dunlop Rubber Company has keen showered with compliments upon tbe success of its recent big relay dis-, patch race from Adelaide to Sydney. It was a great undertaking, admirably organised and carried through with en-Chu-siasm by the promoters thereof and ihe participants therein. » * # Sixty years of age, a bit battered, tret still in the ring, such is Starlight, ihe colored fighter who for seven years held the middle-weight championship of Australia. The ring lie figures in now is that of a hundred years ago —the stage version of the days of the Regency. .And lie is not there as himself, ont as Tom Molyneaux, the black hope «f the period represented in Conan Doyle's drama, "l\e House of Temperley." In "Star's" opinion, the cleverest fighter he ever stood up against was Jim Hall; tho most wonderful fighter he has ever seen, Jack Johnson. "He is the greatest mau in the ring the world has ever produced." is Starlight's vcrtiiet. "He could beat McVca and Langford in the one ring. I know," he •ays, "because I've sparred with him, •nd I'm pretty tricky myself." * # * A rod deer haß been known to clear 1 wall 10ft. high, the chamois can do *t least a foot bettor, while tho spring-, hok of South Africa will shoot up 10ft. J in the air just for the fun of tho tiling. Some of the boasts of prey aro wonderful athletes. The black jaguar, for I instance, can reach 14ft. from tbe ground. The greatest jumper, of course, is tho kangaroo. It can leap with ease a width of from 50ft. to f-flffc. The record cleared by a horse is 37ft.. while tho ostrich in running often clears from 23ft. to 25ft, at a stride. | _ » • A Chinese student in England was •sked to name the five great races of mankind. His answer was: "The hun-j Bred yards, the hurdles, the quarter-1 ■oile, the mile, and the three miles!" : * * » Mr. Alsop, the. manager of the South __frican cricketers, interviewed in London, said he did not think Hill, Trumper and Company would be missed from the Australian team as much as was anticipated. Faulkner, writing to the '"Sportsmnn," says England should have no difficulty in annexing the premier honors in tho triangular contest. * * * Battling Nelson, fighting for his lost crown, is at once a strong figure and a pathetic ono. Deep in his heart, the former champion of light-weights cherishes the hope that ho *may some day regain his title. At least, that is the reason lie offers when asked why he continues to fight in the ring when he lias already made a fortune and could, if he desired, live for the rest of bis Hays without doing a tap of work. Nel■on is a chap of the insistent type. Tn kia real championship days he would never yield, and now, when he is fighting with Father Time, he refuses to admit that he is conquered. It was ibis persistency that won him so many bate ties. Only two years ago he openly boasted that he was invincible, that be was practically inhuman. That was not altogether bravado or egotism •ither. He really thought it, and itis the same spirit that is now urging him ion in a seemingly hopeless endeavor to regain his lost title. A few weeks ago one of Nelson's friends advised him to quit the ring at once. Ho told the Dane that there was great danger of his being killed in the ring somo day. Neb •on laughed and assured him that if ho gaot death in the <jnost of his Hfc'-p •mbition, lie would die happy.

There arc still a lot of people dissatisfied with the outcome of the LangtordMcVea contests, most of all Sam McYea. Thero have been throe of them altogether. Tho first took place in Paris, when Eugene (,'orri declared the result a draw. Both McVca's friends ami Landlord's friends reckoned that their man should have got the decision. Then came tlie famous match in Sydney on Boxing Day, when "Snowy" llakcr gave an absolutely correct verdict in awarding tbo fight to McVca. Easter Monday's match brought a clear and unmistakable triumph for the Boston Tar Buby, and now McVca is dissatisfied. Not with tho decision. He incog-nines that he was fairly and squarely beaten, but ho considers that he had gone stale, and was not at his best. Another match has, accordingly, been arranged, and on May 11 the two colored boxers will meet for their final battle, this season at any rate. * # * "Snowy" Baker has resigned his position as referee of the Swlney Stadium and as a result the sport has lost an official whoso earnestness and integrity havo always characterised his actions. While his loss is to be regr- tied, it does seem that in adopting tlie attitude which brought alxiut his resignation, Mr. Baker .sort of cut off his nose to spito his face, says Sydney "Sun." J There does not seem to be any justi-j ficatiou for his getting out of the; game. He complains of criticism in the press, but surely be must havo remembered that ho h'eh] a position that left him open to criticism which might or might not be unkind. Newispnper comment should not have driven him out of the sport. He should have been broad - minded enough to smile at that sort of thing. All the same, it is a pity that Mr. Baker's services have been lost to the sport. » * • While the return Langfoid-McVoa fight in Sydney has been responsible for the loss of one eomjM'-leut ring official, it has been pwlically the cause of finding another one. Arthur Scott had handled scores of contests previously, and given good decisions, but it remained for the two colored men to pro-' vide a task to test him thoroughly. But Mr. Scott was equal te the call made upon him. It is doubtful whether anything escaped his notice. Fe kept close, to the boxers—dangerously close—all the time, and saw that everything was clean %nd above-board. All through Scott handled the fig't with good judgment and absolutely fairly.