AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 October 1921, Page 3

AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

THE NEW PLYMOUTH MEETING. All lovers of sport in this district will welcome the efforts now being made in New Plymouth to revive interest in amateur athletics. A strong committee has been formed from many of our leading citizens to promote an Amateur* Athletic Association worthy of the town, and it is gratifying to be able to state that their efforts are meeting with considerable success.

The opening meeting of the association hs to be held on the High School ground on Saturday, October 22. Trophies to the value of over £7O have already been donated for competition, and it is tfc be hoped that the youth of New Plymouth will rise to the occasion and take part in the meeting. Now that the football season is over, the several sports gatherings that the association are arranging during the summer months will admirably serve the purpose of providing healthy exercise and competition for many of our young athletes. The association deserves every encouragement. The programme, as published, contains the usual sprint and long-distance races, broad and high jumps, putting the shot, hurdle events, senior cadets’ race, and a returned soldiers’ handicap. Thus it will be seen that every type of athlete is catered for. Prominent runners from Palmerston North and Hawera have notified their intention of being present to assist, in this opening meeting, and quite a mumber of local men are in training.

The relay race, open to any athletie body, should provide keen competition, for it is expected that the three local football clubs will enter teams, while several teams are coming from South Taranaki. The school races are sure tofill well, and it was a wise policy that the association pursued when it included so many boys’ events in the programme. If amateur athletics are encouraged-in the schools —and there is no doubt that it is in New Plymouth —then each .year the association should grow in strength, for it will draw into its ranks the promising boy athletes, who will now have some controlling body to foster and encourage that love of true sport gained at school.

At a recent meeting of the committee, Mr. Bridge, of Wellington, who is a member *bf the New Zealand Amatour Athletic Association, spoke of the satisfaction felt by the headquarters of amateur athletics at the revival of athletics in this district. He mentioned that the South African athletic team, of which the redoubtable Van Heerden will probably -be a member, will be touring New Zealand early in the new year, and that, if the general public and local athletes combined to form a stropg club here, it was quite likely that New Plymouth would be included in the itinerary of the tour. Needless to say, the local associai tion is making every effort to achieve success in its first meeting, in order to be able to provide a meeting worthy of such a high-class visiting team.

This district has produced some fine atnletes in the past, notably the late T. Hempton and L. B. Webster, both of whom were New Zealand and Australasian champions. We may not have any such champions now, but we have the material, and we have a strong association anxious to give it every chance. It is to be hoped that the general public will do'their bit by taking an interest in the forthcoming gatherings, and so make this town and district one of the strongholds of, amateur athletics in New Zealand.

F -tries close on Saturday next with the hon. secretary (Lieut L. Andrews, V.C.), from whom entry forms and any information regarding the sports may be obtained.