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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 33, 8 February 1881, Page 2

PAST V. PRESENT ATHLETIC

SPORTS. To the Editor op the " Evening- Mail." Siii—A year or two ago and our few athletic meetings in the year were looked forward to with great interest by a considerable portion of our townspeople, and were attended by crowds of the friends of the large number of amateurj athletes who en- ; gaged in friendly contests, and who competed more for the honor of gaining a victory than for the satisfaction of pocketing a few pounds I say such was the case a few years ago; but how different is it at the present day. Now. whenever prizes of any value are offered for competition \vhich are worth coming to compete for we find, the entries fbr the greater number of events.composed chiefly of pro fessionals from all over the colony, men whose presence completely ruins athletic sports, who by their greed for the money offered, and by the actions they are capable of when perhaps one or two amateurs may un fortitnaiely happen to compete against them, have made themselves notorious wherever they appear. The athletic sports in connection with the Friendly Societies' fete last Tuesday were a sorry affair as far as the " big " events were concerned. From first to last these were entirely in the hands of professionals, who, together with their supporters," were literally Swarming that day. What ugly rumors were those flying about that such and such a race was sold, and that one of our amateurs was prevented from showing to the front in one event by the action of two competitors, who had apparently agreed to act in the manner in which they did before starting? Were actions of this description indulged in some years back? Never; and it is only in this way that athletics are being ruined on every side, and if all clubs are going to sink, as they are rapidly ;doing, into such a state of degradation as horse racing h at present in New Zealand, then the sooner we do away with sports of every description the better for all concerned. Such an exhibition as last Tuesday's is sufficient in itself to make amateurs shrink from mixing with such a mob as competed then. It certainly behoves all athletic clubs if they wish to retain their good name to make the mo t stringent rules, and entirely exclude these professionals, bookmakers, and anyone connected with such deliberate swindlings &? are now perpetrated upon the public. Until this is done our clubs will gradually sink into a state of oblivion as far as true athletes are concerned, a fact which I believe is gradually being brought before the eyes of the public, judging from the large falling off there is now at these gatherings as compared with previous years.—-1 am, &c, An Old Athlete.