1960-05-03 — Page 9

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THE CHINA MAIL, - TUESDAY, MAY 3, 1960.

THE STORY OF SPORT

Tennis was known as 'Sphairistike' by

the ancient Greeks

By REX LAWRENCE

The Greeks had a word for it—"Sphairistike,”

It was

a pat-a-cake affair compared with present day ten- nis, just a game for girls. But it had its moments. For example, according to Homer, it was while hunting a lost

tennis ball that Nausicaa and her maidens stumbled across the naked and shipwrecked Ulysses.

That is

earliert the amuk

It birth certiferte is neatly the name, But why he devised references to tenis which, in Med in London's Patent Office ; it at all is clear enough. one form or another, has been Library, between the entries for played down the centuries. Fortiflcint butler and outomatie soldier's ability 10 strip i

As long ago sa tho thir-brakes for horse-drawn run teenth century the game was cars. popular enough to justify the existence of professionali,

Birth certificate There were 13 tennis pros in Parks in 120, And they were muking enough money to at- tract the attention of the local tax collector,

But modern town Tennis is relative youngster in the long story of hifog a ball across a not.

The histe readed:

document ई

SPHAIRISTIKE February 23rd, 1874. No. 685.

The "inventor" whs Major Walter Clopton Wingdeld. "ur Her Majesty's First Dragoon Guards.

is not clear hist why the major took the trouble to patent

FAMOUS SPORTS STARS

-I HAVE MET

By ARCHIE QUICK

1

Wingeld hud the Rood

problem to his fundamentais. And with this incisiveness of " he combined a rare Jove of tennie.

A

But tennis before 1874 Heal or Court Tennis, it was catled-was

fantastically complicated affair. Its rules and technique look years 10 master, so it lacked popularity.

Wingfeld

sliced away the triminings and, in a few limpid puges, gavo the world a new game which could be grasped in

a matter of hours.

He offered the game to the stati Marylebone Cricket Club, who drew up a code of rules. Later, after a wrangle between The MCC and the All-English Crottel Club, the game went to Wimbledon and develoved its Town controlling body.

A new cry Wingfield's new game caught the public imagination. It way cul, simple and a blessed change from elemal games of croquet. All over England the and middle classes

The compleated game of Real Tennis was played on a court like this. It was this ancient sport that inspired Major Waller Clopton Wingfleld to invent the simpler sport of Lawn Tennis.

favourite sport of church and popularity enhanced by the in- palace circles.

guna

It was a complicated with rules varying from district to district. And it was played on a court which took its shape from the cloistered courtyards of the time.

First tennis court

The first tenul court designed built at Poitiers in 1230. us such is believed to have been

ог

At that time the game was called "Jeu de paume" "the hand game," the balf botng struck with the palm of the hand,

It was around this date that the game was introduced to Eng- land. Most of the available evidence points to the Scots as having introduced it. Their links with the French were close and friendly and they are known to have been playing it before the English had it.

Bluff King Henry VII s

Wos для

"Mar-

troduction of the racket.

The swan-song of stately Cours Tennis was the nelitaine," marching song of the French revolutionaries. Tennis

"aristo" pastime and with the sudden exodus of the aristocracy it fell from favour. For no obvious waning popularity was reflected in England and the resl of Furope. Not for many years did it, rogain its pre-Revolution popularity.

reason

its

Napoleon tried to revive it, He took up the gante and had the court at Fontainebleau re- paired. Later the starely Duke of Wellington played there,

The wrangle

But the two greatest soldiers of the age were tennis duffers. professional who saw both later wrote: great men play "My God! Wellington was not very good. But Napoleon! He did not even have an aptitude for the game.

The anclent Gropped their millets and took often been credited with true-was still declining when Mejor game of tennis to a new battle cry: "Aryone

ducing the game to England. Wingfeld stepped into the ple- But although

in his youth he was an all-round sportsman, his only contribution to the story of tennis was the aceial boost he Kave it by becoming a tennis player.

for tennis?"

When Bill Foulkes crawled out of the burning plane that February 1958 day at Munich which cost the lives of eight senior Manchester United players, three officials and eight Pressmen, it pr could have been the end of a footballing career for a lesser man than this tough ex-miner.

Foulkes was burned, his nerve | has only scored one League goal for a long white was impaired, be lost his place in the Old Trafford senior eleven, he handed over the captaincy and, naturally, as a Central League player, he was Im langer considered as a candi- date for the England eleven in which he had gained one "cop" GRamst freland.

a

Big Bl. however, lus a heart as big # his loyally for the Club which found him and deveked โท inter First Division and an International player This season he is the only Cup and League "ever present" in the United team-- and I have discovered the reason why.

Realising the importance of stamina, and a dedicated to the game as Stanley Matthews him- self. Foulkes. und his lifelon friend Derek Hepnla, the Bolton Wanderers wing half, put in over a month's session of roadwork and weightlifting before they find to report back to their clubs for duty lust August. In lodging together just outside their native Bolten they were up at 7 am. every morning last July and nut In seven to ten miles" road, run- ning before breakfast. They took it in turns to make the early morning tea and toust because after that the man who did the chores could hardly let the ether one down by wanting to le in."

FITNESS

There were times in the great heat of summer they would have liked to "lib.", but they did not raiss one weekday morning for five woeks before going into official training at Burnden Park and Old Trafford with their club mates. Not many modern pro- fessionals would take that much trouble, although Matthews doen and I saw Leyton Orients Eddy Brown "lapping" St Mary's Alr- port every morning Inst June when I was in the Isles of Selfly.

"I certainly felt the benefit of 'It when I returned to Old Trafford." says Foulkes, "for I was so far aheod of the rest of the players in fitness

I am sure Chat why I have played in 'every game this season and 1 Intend to do the same thing agala next July when we rotum from our tour of Canada and the United States."

Foulkes has just completed 250 League and Cup games with United, and after ten years' service has just received his second benefit of £1,000, He

Elorde-Gomes fight on July 6

Ben Francisco, May 2. Arrangements were completed today for the World Junler Lightweight Championship box- ing match here on July 6 be tween thie-holder Flash Elorde and Harold Gumes of the U.B.

Elorde stopped Gomes in the seventh round at Manila' to win the Ulie-AP,

against Newcastle United at St James's Park on New Year's; Day 1951, -- and his ambition to get a second for he has never forgotten the thrill the first gove Jam-Banews Service.

Four D. Jones BY MADDOCKS

KEEP

THEM THERE

FERDINAND

NANCY

CAN I USE YOUR AUNT'S

REDUCING MACHINE ?

Much of the earlier story of this lies in the darkness of forgotten ages.

The Romans adopted the Greek Sphairistike and called it Pila. But that is the last heard of it until the tenth century when the game emerged in France as the

TAPE IS ON THE PHONE THE MINISTER FOR RED TO THE MINISTER

GF CHAOS

YES SIR, ILL DO ME BEST. HUMOUR THEM.

... YES, I'LL DO THAT THANK YOU, SIR

JOUT

SURE--

BUT

WHY ?

BRICK BRADFORD

MAYBE I CAN STILL PILL THE POWER PACK IN TO ME, SAPIS...IT MAY CATCH ON A KNOTI

BUT THE LING

IC BROKEN? IT WILL JUST ELIPE THROUGH!

NOW, SIR. THE MINISTER OF CHAOS

IS COMING HERE

I HAVE TO SKIP SCHOOL TOMORROW---

From then unt about the end at the eighteenth century tennis became the fashionable sport of the upper-class

RIGHT,

MATE. THEN WE CAN TALK MONEY

TALK

AND I WANT TO SEND A NOTE

AS BRICK TUGS ON THE LINE DRAGGING

THE POWER PACK TOWARD HIM, THS TACKY, STICKÝ TAR PULLS THE SWITCH ON AND ENERGIZES_THE

POWER UNIT.

in Europe, its

ture.

WAS

The game ho devised basically the same as today's tennis. The big difference was that the court was hour-glass shaped,

not hour-

feld's design other forces were at work! Inspired by Dr Henry Jones, a journalist on the staff of The Field, the All-England Croques Chab adopted tennis. Tamis codis, Jones argued, ! should be square glass,

The Croquet Club emerged victorious from the wrangle that followed and set up shop as the All-England Croquet mid Lawn Tennis Club In Worple Road, Wimbledon, on the outskirts of London.

YACHTSMAN BOBBY

BIDS FOR BERMUDA

By GEOFFREY WAREHAM

In the midst of a great fleet massed off Rhode Island on June 18 for the start of the Bermuda race will be three British yachts-three against perhaps as many as 150.

As game as over, the crews, to Major Gerald Potter, an will have this hope uppermost experienced ocean racing In their minds: to be the frat yachtsman who came close to British winner of the 030-mile ; winning last year's Fastnet race ocean classic since the bi-annual | with Grima ft. events started 54 years ago.

He will race Drumbeat 3,500 The odds lengthon` overy miles across the Atlantic

to time. The last record entry Sweden for the Kuig of of 110. mostly American, Is Sweden's Cup. Belmore and expected to be well beaten, Httle Danegeld will be there too Two of Britain's trip are no among a total to dale vf 19 nowcomers to there waters. from the Bermuda ficat.

Dancgeld will almost certainly be the smallest of the 19. Indeed, her engine has been taken out and extra ballost put in to bring her up to the mini- Mr Max Aitken

again

I measurement allowed by sail his vartshed sloop Drum- the rules-London Express Ser- beat, deft on the waterline, and vice. Mr Tom Steele's 30ft Belmore will have a Royal Navy

and Royal Marine crow under Com-

Tiniest

will

mander Erroll Bruce,

Belmore was third in her class in the last Bermuda race.

One of the tiniest of all the rachis will be Mr Bobby Lowen's Danegeld, a mere 2411 on the waterline.

Their first championship, an all-male affair was staged in 1877 (women's championships were not introduced untu 1884),

In the cretary's office, Sho leading off from the famour centre court, hang a framed

of that first Announcement championship; "The final whil be played on Monday, July 16. at 3,30,”

But it wasn't.

All-England Club

The match was postponed until the following Thursday because to see the Eton v. Harrow crie- so many of the speciatars wanted ket match at Lord's.

By 1880, however, the new sport had become so popular that a Lawn Tennis Association was formed as the controlling au- thority.

And in 1922 the All-England narrower at the net Tennis and Croquet Club by than at the base-lines.

then it had alrendy dropped the But although the Marylebone croquet side of its activities- Cricket Club adopted Wing- moved to its present site.

THE MINISTER OF CHAOS ARRIVES..

WILL

✓ NO

YOU BE

JEAVES,

WANTING

| I'LL TAKE

THE BIKE AGAIN TODAY,

GIR

A BUS

HOME

By Mik

By Ernie Bushmiller

DEAR TEACHER I HAVE CHILLS

SLUGGO

-ERNIE BUSHMILLER

By Paul Norrla

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Sports Diary

TO-DAY

Tennit

Me' "D" Div. Section "A": HKU v Bearvio: Che "1 v RAF successful in home waters last EXOCSA SCA Recre SCRSON that she won for her Y KTGCA owner-a dental surgeon of Cowes, Isle of Wight-the Max SCAA" v KITC; LRC V PORC

Section "B": CRC "** v HICCC: Aitken Yachtsman of the Year Trophy.

Locking "D" KCC v CRC; LAC

LRC "1",

Her progress in the Bermuda race will be closely followed by

ot hundreds of members

the Island Soiling Club at Cowes.

£2,000 fund

Swimming

Intries close of Colony's mard thon swimming event organised

by the UKASA.

TO-MORROW ВОССТР

Jinni

Land Forces Caldbeck Cup (FIK State), Boundary St.

Oon. Bervices, Boundary 91. 530 Victory Bleid: Coms. Chinene v

She will carry the club burgec, for the mombers are raising the

£2,000 needed to cover ex-pm. recolved in subscriptions of up Eastern

£1.

penses. So far £1,200 has been Youth

This

year's race will be

Cup:

(HV6 p... KMB "A" Five-Ong-Sover

Mooting

considerably Lougher for the HKFA Interport Committee, Sporta

smaller yachts because of a Road, 0 pm. change in the handicapping rulc.

The effect is that the gener- ous time allowance given to smaller craft in previous races is now less. Danegeld, for example, will lose about 40 minutes.

Tennis

Men's "C Diusion: Section "A": KKCC RC (3) PORC V KTGCA: CRC (1) v Urbón C; KCC (1) V LBC (1).

Sootion "B": SCAA USRC, LAC (2) v CRC (4); CCC (a) ctic (3); KOC (3) ▼ PRC.

After the Bermuda race Mr Altken will hand over his yacht CRC.

Mixed "A": KCC v LRC; 000 v

CALL 59195

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++

The number of active tuberculosis cases in Hong Kong at present is estimated to be 60,000, of which 2,000 are known cases of bone and joint disease in children up to the age of ten years.

Most of the deaths occur in men and women in their most fruitful and active years and many victims of this fell disease are young children,

WON'T YOU HELP TO STOP THIS WASTAGE OF VALUABLE HUMAN LIVES by donating generously to the Hong Kong Anti-Tuberculosis Association? The Asso ciation is dedicated to the task of com- batting tuberculosis and has as one of its primary objectives the provision of more hospital accommodation so that the sick can be cured and the germ carriers isolated. With your help, so much more can be done.

Cheques should be crossed and addreanad!

"The Hong Kong Anti-Tuberoptosis Amociation" ofo Lowe, Bingham & Matthews,

Alexandra Hopre,

or want

o/o the Newapapar.