1.
THE CHINA MAIL, JULY 15, 1940
FULL EFFECTS OF WAR ON FUTURE OF BRITISH SPORT
Sportsmen Still Breaking Records Effort To Keep The FlagFlying
By Kenneth McMillan
(Well-known British Sports Writer)
IT HAS BEEN put on record that the influence of the sporting news columns of the daily news papers in Great Britain on the making of good citizens is far reaching, and finds an echo wherever Britons meet.
mer for the many galas at which she is expected to appear. Con-
Cycling
ngs, and in one instance 270 riders competed in one
of the open road time trials 'over a dis- tance of 25 miles. This is a popu lar feature of cycle racing, and ¡provides an equal chance for
novice and star,
tinental champions will recall Another sport that intends to her feats last summer.
keep the flag flying is cycle rac Quite clearly the war is going Next to the Olympic Games, the ing Meetings are scheduled in to give this pastime on impetus. winning of a European title is one London for nearly every Satin that nothing else could provide. It. of the hardest of feats, and until day during the summer season, has turned the thoughts of many
the Northern riders of both sexes to the com the war broke out these annual while Manchester, competitions were helping in their home of the sport, is also provid-petitive side, and road and truck, small way to break down national ing the competitive element for racing will be ready to take Its barriers but 'all `seemingly in crack racers not yet claimed by place in the near future along- vain so far as the Nazis were con-
side the most popular summer the Forces.
cerned.
Great Britain is fortunate in
Games
these
being able to stage the Empire together with matches against the periodically, and Americans Harvard, Yale and
Championships are being or sports indulged in by Britons. ganised for riders under mili- tary age, so that at the end of the war the sport will not be derelict of riders,.
HOLE-IN-ONE IN SHANGHAI
Cycling clubs have multiplied Ellis Hayim did the 9th hole, other teums-sharpened the edge enormously during the past five 141 yards, in one stroke, using a of British competition so that it years since England became cycle- No. 7 iron, while playing over the 3his influence is setting its board diving champion, is now was able to improve its position minded, though the history of rac- Hungjao Golf Club course in mark continually on the youth of located in London and intends to in the quadrennial Olympic ing goes back to 1869. There was Shanghai last week with George the country, and as a character keep in strict training this sum- Games.
'a big turn-out at the Easter meet- Norris. the local professional. ·
building factor, sport to-day is second to none in the schools,, colleges, universities and clubs.
it
But whatever a nation gains from this factor in peace time. when in the grip of a war, must lose because of the toll of war. That was what happened during 1914-18.
It took Great Britain consider- able time to make up the leeway of losses among her young men,: sustained on the battlefields of Europe and the East. And, sad to record it is going to happen once more.
Those of the "lost generation".........! men who fell and those who came : back having given their besti sporting years to war-could notj hold a place with countries not so harshly hit. Great Britain had then to wait for her young men to mature.
It was computed recently that' men in the thirties play the best: cricket and golf; that track racing) honours go most frequently to men| ten years younger.
Best Ages
"The best age, they say, for box- ers to succeed is 21; footballers! 23; lawn tennis players 28 and scullers and oarsmen 26. Men of these ages are serving with the Allies to-day.
â
...What war thus means to country in which sport is so high- ly organised can be realised. The very foundations are rocking. Noteworthy is the courageous move of the British Midland Counties' Swimming Association who have just taken a bold step; by deciding to hold all their Junior championships this sum- mer, and also have special war- time races for such seniors as are left.
Great Britain was rapidly mak- ing headway in the swimming world, though the Dutch girls were setting the pace in the wo- men's section and the Americans) and Japanese were striding ahead in the men's events.
County Associations in War- wickshire, Surrey, Sussex and the West of England are also giving encouragement to junior swim- mers for the duration of the war,
There is another. significant move to show how the sport lo to be kept going. The London Water Polo League, one of the strongest bodies of its kind, have resumed after six months. of inactivity.
They are to organise, during the| summer months, five competitions which will All the need of all in- terested in this typical English sport, whose beginnings go. back as far as 1888.
Popular In North
L
anal
In the North of England the game is particularly popular: more so since the introduction, multiplication-all over the coun- try in recent years of swimming pools. In the Colonies the sport thrives and English rules ́lave) generally been adopted-as in most other sports.
L
pro.
Already the war has duced a 'now racord-maker, Konnoth Lowls, a 15-year-old London boy, has set up now figures for the Southern' 100 yards breast stroke of 72-1/5th 260. He is regarded as a real discovery;-one-of-the-boat-in- Great Britain for a long time.} Lewis ls_said to have the right tomperament for big races, and a fine stylist, Into the bargain. Betty Slade, Europeon Spring-
A steadying influence....
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