ARMY SPORT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 December 1941, Page 6

ARMY SPORT

N.Z.E.F. IN EGYPT BEST EQUIPPED. AN AID TO FIGHTING. “No army in the Middle East is better supplied with sporting facilities than the N.Z.E.F., “states LieutenantColonel F. Waite, Commissioner for the National Patriotic Fund Board in the Middle East, in his latest report to the board. In support of this contention Colonel Waite has given details of sports gear issued, the subsidies granted to sports committees, and an account of the general sports activities of the New Zealanders.

The figures indicate the extent to which sport is encouraged in the N.Z.E.F. and the keenness of New Zealanders for football find other organised games, such as hockey and baseball. The lists supplied by Colonel Waite show that between them the 4th, sth and 6th Brigades, Divisional Artillery, and Divisional A.S.C. have had issued to them from the Patriotic Fund Board’s store in Cairo 104 footballs and bladders, 128 pairs of shorts, 128 jerseys, 128 pairs of stockings, 280 pairs of boots, 267 hockey sticks, 26 hockey balls, 69 softballs, eight medicine balls, 50 sets of deck tennis quoits, and 46 table tennis sets. The list of sports equipment issued from the Patriotic Fund stocks for the benefit of the men at the N.Z.E.F. base at Maadi is even more imposing. This includes 59 footballs, 204 pairs of shorts, 813 jerseys, 1012 pairs of stockings, 936 pairs of boots, 146 hockey sticks, 60 hockey balls, and 35 hockey shin pads. In addition, subsidies amounting to over £4OO were made to the base sports committees between June and last month, the sports covered being boxing, wrestling, cricket, athletics, tennis, bowls, Association football, rowing, and tennis. VARIETY OF SPORT. A report on the sporting activities contains reference to some performers well known in the Dominion and mention is made that the competitions have unearthed some first-class talent unknown previously. A win by Masters at the N.Z.E.F. athletic championship meeting is cited as a case in point. Running in bare feet, he won the 100 yards, being credited with 10.2 secs. Well-known performers who took part in this meeting were P. F. Sharpley and T. Allen and the evergreen Mick Darby, from Wanganui. Credit is given to outside organisations for facilities they have provided for the playing of golf and bowls. In case it should be thought that bowls probably would not claim a great deal of interest among the troops, it is pointed out that this sport has a very keen following. Although Association football has the largest winter following in Egypt and as a result the camp sides have no difficulty in arranging outside games, Rugby is the winter game which claims the largest following among the New Zealand troops. The 1 teams are well turned out, and there is talent in abundance. The report was prepared by Second Lieutenant N. F. Gardiner, sports officer at Maadi Camp. “Organised sport in tliis camp,” he says, “owes much to the Patriotic Board for its financial assistance,” He explains the organisation and on the question of the benefit of participation in sport he has the following comment to make: “It is realised that our primary object here is to fight, but at the same time the benefits, both physical and psychological, to be derived from adequate participation in athletics are considerable. When a man becomes sufficiently interested in any form of sport to get into training for it, he will, all things being equal, reach his physical peak much more quickly than by routine army training methods.”