THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, JULY 5, 1947.
SPORTS FEATURES
Why Shouldn't Hongkong Also Turn
Out Olympic Champions?
(BY RECORDER)
Hongkong has always been a sportive sort of place and local directories were once in the habit of publishing long lists of Interporters who had won their caps or their "blues" at cricket, football, hockey, tennis, or whatever else.
Once, in 1934, Hongkong entered a team of lawn bowlers in the Empire Games. Chinese football teams from Hongkong departing for Europe are given wide publicity in the European press as far afield as Prague, Much of China's Davis Cup and Olympic representation comes from Hongkong.
Sickening Talk Of Our Decadence In World Sports
(BY ARCHIE QUICK) This talk of British decadence in sport and the supremacy of foreigners sickens me. Of we have consistently Of course it is depressing. But there is a very good and proud reason for it.
course lost.
They were getting on with their games while we and Germany were at each other's threads in a life and death struggle which, I am told, has been beneficial to these unconquer- able Invaders from overseas.
Australia's and South Africa's sons and daughters gave of their during war but no buzz bombs fell
Yet, beyond what is done locally for football, little is ever attempted here in the line of promoting sport beyond its remaining a limited inter- club affair.
was a
Some years before the war there hoost movement on fool to Hongkong's possibilitleg as a tourist centre. Anyone will recollect the huge ferry advertisements describ-| Ing this place as being in the nature of a Riviera of the Orient.
The tourist trade has in the past and will in the future mean much to Hongkong. If it is to be promoted, attractions other than the few beaches providing changing. room and refreshment faciliiles must
be provided.
The Idea of Hongkong as a centre for an inter-clty Olympiad was monted in the focal press as far back as 1001. It was then suggested that "Interport athletics, sculling, swimming and racquets where our athletic, prowess could vie with that of Singapore, Tokyo and Yokohama.
explained that the pit was too dan- gerous for a descent from a dizzier height,
This general view of the regatta course at Henley illustrates the beauty of the setting for the most notable event of the rowing world.
MOST UNIQUE EVENT IN
Yet, when the cream of Hong- kung's best athletic prowess., gets together as it did in the Open to the Colony meets organised by the 1947 South China Athletic Association, marks were set that approached inost of the Filipino efforts;
I personally recollect_sceing long jump at Caroline Hill of just over 23 feet. Carlos Ramirez, the Filipino Champion, who has cleared over 35 feet, was only An Inch or two better at Caroline Hill.
I have seen a high jump of six feet done here at Boundary Street from a grass take-off by Cpl. Wal- ter Land. He could hardly have done better without taking the risk of turning his ankle on hitting the edge of the plt, not designed for 0- foot high jumpers.
in sports be held
NO ORGANISATION
ROWING WORLD
•
HENLEY REGATTA ENDS
TODAY
Henley Royal Regatta is a unique event in the row-
Great Britain ing world.
waa the birthplace of rowing, and from the carliest days Henley emerged as its premier regatta. The first regatta 'took place in 1829, and with the exception of the two war periods, Its it has been staged annually since that date. Grand Challenge Cup and Diamond Challenge Sculls have come to be regarded as the blue ribands of rowing and sculling. The article below is by R. D. Burnell, who rowed for Eton and. Oxford, before the war and is now a member of the Regatta Committee.
In
This Is Why The "Babe" Can Hit Those
280-Yard Drives
So it turned out that Mrs Mildred ("Babe") Zaharias, the tough little lady from Texas, lived up to all her advance publicity - and did win the British women's golf championship. ·
All the experts were inclined to scoff at my story of her 280-yard drives, immense stamina, and magnificent temperament. Why, some of them wrote her off, sight
unseen, as another John Montague.
And you know what happened to Montagur. Boosted as a golf wizard, 'capable of beating the average plaver with a plek and shovel, nover mind a set of clubs, he turned out to be a false alarm.
Not so the row celebrated Mrs. Zaharias, who in certainly some
bnbr.
She won up there at Gullane al- most us she liked, to set the experts dancing a fandango in the streets as they hall her as the world's greatest woman player of our time, if not all time.
SHE WORKS AT IT
What Is the "Babe's" secret? How can the slam that little white ball
harder and further than it has ever been slammed by a woman be- fore?
My world of sport-
PAUL IRWIN
the power in hands and wriste which bring the clubhead through. the ball with a speed exceptional for a woman.
"This strength of hand and wrist gives her two more qualities. There la the ability to make the ball bito from the long iron on the green
combined with shots downwards, brilliant powers of recovery from the rough."
WONDER SHOT One shot comes to mind.
After I answer that there is no secret her opponent played a beautiful shot at all about her golf, quite simply, eight feet from the flag, the Babe" she works at the game. Most pitched four feet past the pin and brought the ball back six inches ou other women don't.
the boner player in the felt could
No
Eddie Hamilton, former holder of
the Scottish amateur title, tells me that the "Babe's power can be traced to the steel-like wrists and muscles she bullt by training for the Olympic Javelin throw, which she won at Los Angeles in 1832.
T
the
uther
Yet the have done such a shot. "Babo" kept on bringing them out of the bag.
It all adds up to make hore the world's best woman golfer. What a it Joyce should see grco. Sho developed as an match we athlete first, doing special setting ing fower losing shots, could roll Wethered, more polished and mak- up exercises to tono her back, shoulder and arm muscles, and as a back the years and play the "Babe."
"Babo" PostscriptThe
Leaves golfer second.
note. Sho That's not all. A golfer is just as Gullane on the right
to say everything Henley on Thames is a quiet | Wyfolds, both for coxwainless fours, good as his legs. Here, I report that writes the club
"Babe's
were possible was done to make her wel- underpinnings Oxfordshire town, lying in the The Wyfolds, Incidentally, is the only
to win enough powerful
the enjoyed ti sporting her the come and Thames valley between Reading event open to foreign entrants, which Olymple hurdles title at the ripe old
contest. If we took through a list of local
and Maidenhead and about 35 has never left England. In 1939 the age of 17, and she has seen they
MANNION'S FUTURE As the years rolled by, interports records, excluding the Filipino
"i'a a disease," says David Jack, did come into being and were for performances, they are not unim- miles West of London, in one of Tigre Boat Club, of the Argentine, have stayed that way.
defeated
comTM Yet
of Middleabroù;jh, be the most beautiful parts of Eng-were
with it all, toughness and manager many years the fenture of the sport pressive. Still they are miles
the final, by
the razor-keen will season. Crowds rolled in, but theyhind those of Ceylon, where
the land.
Maidenhead Rowing Club. Four car girl, she is feminine enough.
to lick the other menting on the news that Wilf Man- nion, his star inside forward wants were certainly not crowds from ali AAA is well organised and the
without coxswains has over the Far East.
The Gullane "gallery" often say la transfer. population is about the same. They ley is a hive of activity and the always been a
For two weeks ending today, Hen- rowing
British speciilty, her fossicking in her handbag-ot The Ayresome Park chict should are behind even those of Singa- HONGKONG'S OPPORTUNITY pore.
point of the rowing focal
show, that he was world. whereas in other countries, especially for glucose tablets er a soothing know. Records
by the wander-hug, The trouble with this place is The regatta itself lasts for only four European, the coxed four is favour-cigarette, but for her lipstick and twice bitlen
leaving Plymouth Argyle for Bollen powder compact days, but crews and visitors arrive An attempt to organise some that there is no organisation where more than a week in advance. Acres ed.
Not that the social side of the form of sport here, other than foot-athletics are concerned, worse than white tenting, brightly coloured ball, that would altract
The first entry from abroad was championship appealed to her. Sha to interfere with play. Don't tell from further afield than
visitors that there is no fixed season. The Hags and the blazers of the compet from E. Smith of New York, USA. didn't come all the way from her Kowloon same applies to
where swimming, me either that the dams
Denver home, where her ex-wrestler foning crews combine to give the town to be made. There is no there is a little more yet
organisation
who competed unsuccessfully in the husband of these winning French horses were
reason in the world why Hongkong and some attempt
a festive appearance. at a season. but
clubhouse starved
a year or so ago when they
gossip. could not develop names of a Far still that lack of a "tuning up" pro- were foaled. And while
Diamonds in 1872. Since that time, the end promotes sports shows, for Eastern reputation in sports other cess through a season of organised of craft. In
was there to take the No, she more and more countries have sent
Brikh le to the States for the courses were being ploughed
crews and scullers to race at Hen- In than football. It has already, but meets that is the practice in most stands are prepared, the green lawns
first time. churned for
food ΟΙ
up
So, every evening pi by little attempt has ever been made places where good swimmers
ley. Altogether 22 nations have been. are beautifully mown, and the flower representad, American golfers
6.30 she went off to bed and had to build this place into a Far Eas
apart,
Great from pliching and put-tarn sports arena. driving,
beds bright with Lowers for Henley Britain. They are: America, Argen- produced.
her dinner sent up to her room. ing. I Mannion feels his future lies Hong is not only a rowing event-it is also ting their way round profitable
does, Belgium,
Twelve hours' solid sleep, Austria,
then in London, as I think he shouldn't produce' a wilter
better one of the most important social oc-a, Australia, circui's keeping in touh
Brazil, Canada,
Czechoslovakia, she was up to aprint around the Middlesbrough can do nothing about second. sprinter over
season 50 casions of the summer their clubs while our boys had to that we should have had years ago
a football stadium. We have yet yards free style. This place should England.
Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, hotel grounds and go through her it except, finally, pocket the £20,000 keep in touch with their inquite a few things we want before fairly reck with swimming
Hungary, Italy, Japan,
ruutine of physical exercises. Norway, talent.
transfer cheque. pecially those youngsters who would the picture of this place as a tourist The explanation is that there is no
Here you may say, quite justifi-. course The Regatta
near Poland, Russia, South Africa, Swit- normally have beer in the forefront centre grows into a feasible shape. incentive to
ably, that fitness alone never yet When perfect as can be, a straight mile and gerland, Tasmania and Uruguay competition. We need an athletic stadium and will a local "star,"
won anything at golf. I am with untess he la 570 yards (about 1,670 metres) of
Not infrequently these visitors you-and so is the “Babe,” And I avem to remember during a swimming pool with place in seat Chinese, have a chance to compete placid Themes water. It is net be
returned vic- the war years reading about reguiar a really sizeable crowd.
for Inurels other than purely local? tween the green hills of the Thames from abroad have
forlous. The first successful challen- boxing bouts
valley. Berkshire on the one
gers wen: Columbia College, U.S.A. Garden..
and Oxfordshire and -Buckingham- shire on the other.
best
on the Union or the Commonwealth
tank
were were
now.
practice
and
sires
hing
our golf
at Madison Square
FUTURE PROSPECTS
Meanwhile let games be played without our Tending writers rubbing too much salt into th wounds. Having said that what of the future?
Boxing: Our only hope is Ran- dolph Turpin, with Jackle Paterson likely to lose us our only world
In
ist
tos we are to have somekanis
is no reason why
it
The best athletic stadium have here we can almost call the only one is at Caroline HI The track is eng on which Olympic sprinters who have run the metres-in-10.6 seconds-would- dars do anything better than for fear of tearing carefully tutored
HE'D HAD IT!
100
not
11.3
Transformation For Olympics
The river is busy with all kinds
the enclosures
15 3
the
In
side
In most summers there is little
who won the Visitors but lost the Stewards in 1878. Under present- day rules they would not be eligible
stream, and-though the provailing to row in the Visitors.revived]
wind sometimes favours the Bucks station at the top of Temple Island, experienced earsmen are agreed that it is a fair purse.
CHIEF EVENTS
•
Last
year the Regatta after a six year lapse, and it was
Royal
Regatta evident that Henley stood as high as ever in the eyes of international rowing. Entries
were
SHOULDER-PUNCH
She has what it takes to make a world-benter. It can be summed up in one word-technique.
from
and then moving to Arsenal for
€ 10,890 in 1928,
£
to
David adds that Mannion, who cost nothing, will not be allowed 50% I don't think he really mcans what he says, always as-, maming the -player pressen for a
dluangt
'A restless footballer, no matter how brilliant, is never worth keep-
LOUIS RICH-AGAIN Having carved out something like £1,000,000 with his dirst, Joe Louls en look forward to a comfortable old now he has wiped off all debts, including a particularly horrific sur for income tax.
mechanic, a
who manages
John Roxborough, This techulque may be different the world champion, says Joc's in-
Acoepied standards
straightened out In ances have been woman's-golfche-hits-those 280 very nicely, thank you.. yard drives from the too via
He has two blocks of flats in Chi- "shoulder punch' rather than cago, a couple of flats in Detroit, follow-through but it is near where he once worked as a motor perfection.
a house in Michigan, and Listen to the Sunday Express a farm.
If that isn't enough, Jon is dire to start receiving £109 a month for life on two fully paid annul- fles at age of 40, should pick up £10,000 year from' shares in a soft drink company, and has more cash salted away in life insurance.
received from eight countries. In
In Golf the final of the Grand, Lennder beat port Comespondent, who brings ex- to my analysis of the Zurich (Switzerland), and in
theBabe" as the super-golf machine: final of the Goblets a Leander pair
"Mrs, Zaharias conforms to the beat Norway. The Diamonds were current American pattern of a
extremely fine. French
hitter rather than a swinger, Very strongly made, length comes from
I am not bilfer. It just couldn't be helped, but for goodness sake let us have a little ray of sanity on the cause of our present non-success. It all happened before Immediately after the last war and for the same muscles. The Filipino Clymple
A last-minute transformation will be climb sprinters who passed through here made at Wembley Pool and Stadium reason but we managed to back, and we shall do so again. In 1030 are a case in point. They near London for the 1948 Olymple
were better-than-ovens men in the Games. A seven lane running track Only two crews row in a heat, so on but they were taking it easy is to take the place of the speedway that it is always a straight fight.
their feet.
and greyhound tracks in the Stadlum Three crews can row abreast on a and the Pool will have a new door shorter course, but this has seldom placed over it for the boxing events. been used. It may have to be used The
1048 Won by an actual foundation of the run for the Olympic Regatta in An even more remarkable Inc ning track will be laid at an early however, when it is necessary to sculler, J. Sepherindes, of Paris. dent that demonstrated a "star" date and greyhound speedway rac-have three crews in a heat. opinion on the Caroline Hill
ing will continue on special tracks Stadium concerned. the Filipinu laid over it, the latter being removed Olympic high jumper. Simeon Tori- within seven days of the Games and
The Regatta is organized by blo, twice bronze-medal winner at the running track completed. had a best mark to his credit Amsterdam and Los Angeles, who Among other events for which ac-Committee of the Stewarts of Hen- of commodation has been arranged are ley Royal Regatta, and runs with a nearly 4 feet 7 inches; and was fair-shooting at Bisley (August 2 to smootliness and regularity which has ly constant at about 0:4. Toribio cycle track events at the Herne Hill become a by-word in British rowing. cleared the bar at Caroline Hill at track and rowing at Henley (August in spite of the very heavy· pro-
feet and announced, he would not 12 to 13). For the cycle road race
Richmond Park may be used jump any more. Asked why, he
horse events will take placa at The most important event is the Windsor or Aldershot.
Grand Challenge Cup for eights, Conch for the English Olympics open to all amateur rowing clubs. Athletics team will no doubt be The Stewards Challenge Cup, for under Major G. H. G. Dyson who has been coxswainless fours, is raced offered an appointment as athletics the same rules and is the premier conch
Amateur four-car rowing event. by the English Athletics Association.
crown.
Horse racing: More French wins
at Ascot ns last year.
Henley Regatta: Strong challenges from Switzerland, America South America, and France but with Bri- fish oarsmen Just about holding
their own.
Bra
Cricket: Despite what happened at Nottingham I certain we shall win rubber against the South Africans surprisingly strong though they are proving to be.
Swimming: French threat for one
or two of our titles.
hands of
Cycling: Safe in the Reg Harris who can beat the world. Athletics: Thanks to the West In- dies not much chance for foreigners up to the quarter mile. Britain good enough to win at middle distances, and Europeans likely to win over mlje.
Roventing to golf, for first time America holls everyone of our championships and cups; Men's Open, British Amateur, Women's Amateur, Curtis Cup, Walker Cup and Ryder: Cup, but I am fairly confident some», one like Cotton or Rees will wrest back the Open trophy won by Sam Snead last year or at least it will come to the Empire through the agency of Von Nida ur Locke.
·SPORTING SAM
Arthur Peall says:
INTREER was left an yellow after a fol, an shown on left of diagram. Marker decided against a fres-ball appeal because yellow could bs hit full- bal & mia taken decision.
BLACK
PINKO
The rule Is that
trikor
nookeren
it he can.
not hit
"any point" of, yellow by a direct
shot in a straight line of the cue bail, and as blue prevents him bịt- ting the extreme left of yellow he is entitied_ *_* free-ball.
Might of diagram shows que-bati, pink and black in line, black on brink of pocket, with pink almost touching. Striker plays direct at Cautious Btrength, oun-ball stops short of pink, marker, awards ""'aix AWAY."
Opponant also plays cautiously and leaves que-ball almost touching pink Marker again awards "six away then orders player of next Extroke to hit, pink. This decision was challenged, but is in socordance with the rūtes.
and
For the Games which will open-
grammes.
Next
the
in Importance are the
on July 20 and close on August 14, Diamond Challenge Seulls, open to an Olympic Village will house 3,000 all amateur scullers. Indeed, out- competitors.. A Government com-side Great Britain, this event in mittee will decide where this will be probably held in greater esteem thon situsted.
the Stewards Cup and attracts by far the greatest foreign, entry,
Big Prize Money
For Golfers
Ton remaining open events are the Silver Goblets and Nickells Chal- lenge Cups for pairs, and the Double Sculls, introduced at the 1939 Con- tenary Regalia when the 1930 British Professional golfers in Britain are Olympic pair, Beresford and South- presented with a record fixture list wood" dead-heated with the Italians for 1047. There are to be at least Scher and Broscht. Aftech major events, and the total
prizo money at stake exceeds The other events are less impor £25,000. The British Open Chun-tant because entry to them is limit plenship, held by Sam Snead of the ed. Firstly there is: the Ladies' United States, was concluded yester-Challenge Plate for eights from day..
By Reg. Wootton
British Colleges and Schools, in British vyce this ranks second to the Grand and it is, in fact, next in tho standard achieved, but it
third
course, no foreign entries. The of
race
for eights is the Thames Cup which has lately attracted an 1 ereusing oversens entry particularly from Américan ↑
Academy. The
the Grand, qualification Is for tha but no one may compete who is also. competing in the Grand, Ladies, or Stewards, or has over won the Grand or Slowards
Kent School and Tabor ch
BRITISH SPECIALITY
Similar in conditions to the Ladies' Plaid; and the Thames. Cup are: the Vialtora" Challengeki Cup sand; tha
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