SPORTS HOLIDAY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 241, 1 June 1932, Page 6

SPORTS HOLIDAY

king's birthday BIG CHOPPING AND ATHLETIC CARNIVAL IN GOVT. GROUNDS. HOCKEY AND BASKETS ALL. Friday, June 3, the King's Birthday, will be a sporting holiday in Rotorua, and the centre of attraction will be the Governmant. Grounds, where the Rotorua Athletic and Axemen's Club will commence its. annual two-day ehopping and athletic carnival. On adjacent grounds, the Rotorue Ladies' Hockey Association will conduct its annual Bay of Plenty tournament for the Aard Cup and the Rotorua Basketball Association will hold a seven-a-side tournament. The Rotorua Athletic and Axemen' s Glub's carnival is one of the biggest ehopping fixtures held in the North Island and this year has attracted entries from as far south as Greymouth. A number of the outstanding axemen in New Zealand will be competiug, including W. J. Costello, of Rotorua, holder of a number of ehopping cbampionships, P. Silva, of Ngaruawahia, J. Larkin and D. Hoey, who are recognised as in the front rank of the Dominion's axemen. The 14-inch standing chop, the main event, itself carries total prize money of £121. In addition to local entries, over 50 cimpetitors from other districts will be participating in the choppmg section alone. In conjunction with the choppng, an attractive programme of field and novelty athletic events will be conducted. Half-mile, one mile, and twomile cycle races are schedul'ed, and 100 yards, 220 yards and 440 yards flat running events. In addition a large number of novelty events have been arranged, and these will provide attractive variety in the programme. Special arrangements have been made to provide a happy day for the kiddi'es, and in addition to a number of juvenile sports events, there will be lolly scrambles and a free distribution of toys. The programme is under the control of an energetic and enthusiastie committee which may be relied upon to put through all events to schedule. Eriday's programme will commence at 11 o'clock in the morning, and the meeting will conclude on Saturday afternoon, events beginning at 1 p.m. A fitting conclusion will be a grand carnival dance to be held in the Majestic ballroom on the Friday evening. The Hockey Association's tournament will includs a men's match between Rotorua and a Te Puke team, while ladies' teams from Whakatane and other Bay of Plenty centres wil.l be participating in the Aard Cup comp'etition.