ENTHUSIASM

NZ Truth, Issue 1208, 24 January 1929, Page 17

ENTHUSIASM

Keynote of Wahganui Tennis (From "N.Z. Truth's" Tennis Correspondent.) ' Wanganui has a live- wire tennis executive under whose highly efficient organization the game is flourishing m every quarter. THREE grades of inter-club competitions for mixed teams are held annually, all matches being worked on the. challenge system. A feature of each season's activities are the residential championships, m which the champions of each affiliated club compete m singles, one-sex doubles and mixed. .'. ...Junior .tennis, too, is well catered for, and each year a special junior tournament is held m November. Each of the winners is granted a year's free membership m one of the leading' clubs. Mary Purcell, a little lass of 15, won both the junior and the residential championship this year. Dr. Howard Christie, "a great enthu-, siast amongst the juniors, showed real enterprise when, he donated the Christie Challenge Cup for mixedteams' matches. amongst the lesser.associations. ..■•'.. Already the holders, Wanganui, have been hard put to it to sta.ll off not challenges from Hawkes Bay, Tai'anaki, and Wairarapa. /..,;■ Worthy of special mention, too, . is the policy of the Management Committee of keeping m closer touch with the outlying clubs. Players pay periodical week-end visits to Miirton, Taihape and other places, meeting the local entnusiasts, plaj : ing a series of exhibition, matches, and delivering lectures on the game. With the four chief town clubs m Wtinganui mustering 46 courts amongst' them; a splendid entry for the New •Year tourney is always assured^ This year!s' tourney was wonderfully suc.cessfulv . . . ■ ■ •The- ten picturesquely situated. grass courts of the Wanganui Club were m splendid order, the entries many and Representative, the umpiring outstanding, the standard of play, better than ever- before. . ; .'• ■. ■ Wanganui owes much tp Secretary A. W. J. Peacock, late of Canterbury, and President Walter Swanger, the genial and .. popular Education Board secretary... " - ;