1947-08-16 — Page 8

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 1947.

SPORTS FEATURES

The Early Days Of Lawn Bowls In Hongkong

(By RECORDER)

Though the game of lawn bowls has captured the local sporting imagination in no small measure and was, in the palmy days before the recent war, of sufficient importance here to merit a whole page' to itself in the Sunday papers, the history of its carliest beginnings in Hongkong is lost.

Being an ancient game the lei- surely pursuit of which was im mortalisel by Sir Francis Drake at Plymouth Hoe, it is not un- likely that woods were first rolled somewhere in along the green

tho Hongkong perhaps even in two decades of local history.

gradients into consideration and

gentle slope up hill or down dale was all in the day's hazards.

Within three years of the game being started at Craigengower, the Happy Valley Club had pro- duced its first Colony Champion in U. M. Omar. Between 1925-1 30, Craigengower took First Divi- The first authentic record of aston honours no fewer than four match that

times. The Kowloon Cricket Club and Club de Recraio, two other big names in Premiér division play, entered the lists of the big- timers in the early and the late 1930s respectively.

however,

be

can, found records a game between Cricket Club tho Civil Service and the Kowloon Bowling Green Club on July 11, 1904. K.B.G.C. won by 12 shots to 14.

SPIRITUAL, HOME

The

Oldtimers in the local lawn bowls world credit Kowloon with bring the spiritual home of the game in the Colony. The Dock- yard Recreation Clubs-Kowloon, Taikoo, and Cosmopolitan are credited with having started it It is on record that the first set of wooda ever played with was made at the Kowloon Docks,

ever The Arst public match played on the island is remem- borod as a encounter between three rinks of the Kowloon Bowl ing Green Club and a Bank team. lawn outside It was played on the old Hongkong & Shanghai Bank Building. The exact dato or year 18 Iual.

One of the first clubs to take the up the game seriously was Kowloon Bowling Green Club. The Club was started as the out- come of a mess dinner in the

home of a Mr Arehlo Ritchie in Knutsford Terrace. There are many other legends that have founding grown up around the

of the K.B.G.C., but the present recorded une seems the more au- thentic.

Iawn bowls was the first game played in Kowloon in an era when the only other known sport on the mainland, quoting an early chronicler, was "snipe shouting in Youmatl."

The early Kowloon Bowling Green Club moved about quite a bit, being at one time situated on a plot of land that is now part of the Kowloon Cricket Club. The first clubhouse, it is recorded, was opened by Sir Matthew Nathan in 1905. The present club building: off Austin Road was built in 1926. A MONOPOLY

The game for some years in the late 1890s and the early years of the present century was a mono- poly of the men in this Colony who repair and build ships. Hence a term that is still in popular use "The Taikoo Shot.". The Lawn Bowls League, con- Colony currently with the first

Open Singles Championship, was founded in 1909-10. The Police

a

arc

own

The popularity of the game in the 1920 and 1930s reached peak whereon local advertisera aimed direct posters at lawn bowlers and newspapera harped on a blessed event in a lawn bow- ler's family. Today, clubs slowly coming into their again after a lead set by the Kow- loon Bowling Green Club again a spiritual home for lawn bowlers, for many months after the wor keeping open house to the lawn bowling world. Next year, it is hoped, the League will be back the standard of the again to palmy '303.

This strapping young woman is French swimmer Monique Ber-

FLYING RACEHORSES

MIDDLESEX TIPPED TO WIN

CRICKET CHAMPIONSHIP

By ARCHIE QUICK

Despite the challenge of Gloucester, Derby and Lancashire, I still take Middlesex to win the county cricket championship.

-

There is something overpower- ingly superior and confident about "Cocky" Robins' eleven that a lacking in other sides, good na they are.

- Starting with the batting foundation of Brown, Robertson, Edrich, and Compton, and ending with varied attack of Edrich, Young, Sims, Robins, Gray and the metropolitan courty has do- not yet everything. I am elded that Leslie Compton is a top-class wicket keeper-certain- ly he is not so good as last sea- son's Fred Price but otherwise there is all round quality about team that compels admiration and respect.

Robin has wolded them into grand fielding side both near the wicket and in the deep, and there is no cannier captain on the tac- tical and strategical side to bo found anywhere.

Let's analyse the team in bat- ting order,

THE'S

OF

App aly

TERRIBLY AFRAID LOSING HIS BALL

ent and rob them of a prize they Are o enger to win.

I will say that not only is he "Much as I want to win the grand opening bat, but Brown ta championship Robins said to me the finest exponent of long field- other day, I would not for one ing there is today. Robertson, moment wish it otherwise than twelfth man at the Manchester that our players should gain their That and in the Victory Tests just honours In fact I would! against the Australian Services, like to see more of our men

The transportation of race- horace from one capital city to another in Australia by air is fast becoming popular.

Recently, Attley, a crack Austra- llan

wag racchorse

token from Melbourne to Brisbane by a special fitted freighter aircraft.

ВСУСП hours- The journey took

com- and permitted the horse to plete its training schedule without interruption.

་

One of the principal diMculties connected with transporting

race

horse by alt has been the loading equipment which could nol be I carried with the horses, and

lack of unloading facilities at fer- minal points.

the

This has now been overcome, AS the picture above illustrates. have "Bristol" aircraft designers

now turned out a new loading ramp which weighs only 250 ponds und is an

funicular adaptation of the railway principle.

Before loading, the horse is secured in a box which, after haul- Ing into position in the plane, fas- tens special attachments in the floor. Five animals, with grooms and at- tendants, can be carried in the freighter In this way, and the ramp dismantles and goes into the aircraft for use at destination,

My World of Sport By PAUL IRWIN

Search for unknown

stars in battledress

ONE

NE of the wisest decisions yet made by our Olympic chiefs is to comb the Services for athletes who may be good enough to represent Great Britain in the Games which are due for showing at Wembley next year.

Advices are that Jack Crump, the A.AA. team manager, is booked to fly to Germany to see the B.A.O.R/s

track and field performers.|

Ife will obviously report back standing oft. Tins and weaning

to our selectors. After that we lost, ib., He packs a real Butter- can expect to find the pick of

his discoveries given every chance to show off their paces

in Olymple trials.

Fur

proof,

Knock-thit wins to

Neritges, othe

are, his deat

tests, plus a wetury over Police Comiable, torell, tie psites, and Civil Service, voumpton, Inails the distance.

Before joining up-and he wa

Captain Harry Whiitio's surprise wins in the A.A.A. long jump and badly wounded in the chest av tinti 440-yards hurdies is clear-cut burg-s big fellow and to eyele evidence of the talent tucked away twice a week from his Nowion Abbe in uniforms,

home to train in Torquay qyin- There may be mare ika Whittie, maklum.

If so, then, let's hayo them. They all the experts agres ho may be are certainly needed desperately our beat Olymple het. Creat news. Wy Rin to make any work of fight in it would be even greater news to

na Wembley Games,

learn that the Services could give

He ran 'groon'

Now

style.

Whittie ran "green),"

swo or three more with the same

possiblitics, I think they can.

racing men put it, do on the Future: Test ba?? Hurdies from Prince Adodovin, firm favourite the strictly, undficial NOT ao long aro. Dick Horetail. who hit 170 runs for Esox in betting, on his heart rather than bis the Bournemouth match with lamp

hire, was walking about encased Tes "uire him a bit of coacting and plaster from neck to hipa-the restilt he could be a sensation of spinto trouble, title naky Wright, the Seuttish expert, immediately after the 2 back, but, once on lifs foot sain. year-old B.F.S1.E. captain breasted was thinking of cricet. the tape.

Well, it is still not too late to start the job. Yet with the Games only just around the corner. We shall DATO to move fast to get all the other potential important, given

material ned va -and. 03

nepelt of export advico.

..

*

*

*

He spent eight months on hie

I don't wonder. The game is an nis lood Why, he was the best boy bat in Lancashire when at school at Todmorden, and sons tinned by Fred Hoot the old England and Worcestershire bowler, un a Juture Test plover. The classic natt-marks are there. Peter Smith, who fist saw ftorafati DON'T forget that Tom White, batting for the ILA.P. in. the Middle our new

*(Bant, shares this opinion. half-mile champion,

Incidentally. Peter mi still wonder- never laced on a spiked shoe until he way a bra), Army Par Corps cor why Lancashire ever let him go poral in Palestine.

joff to Exaca, **its was then 20 and took up track work to ease the boredom of tossing Crickot insuranca up the debit and credits-espectary the debite, li I know my Army-lo the Part 2 par-books of troODA OYER

Kean.

A crackerjack from the start, White bas never looked book. Never looked back, that is, adve to see how far the other fellows were trolling him.

it in pretty safe way the Services can throw up a few more with his qualities, Just as they have un covered Marry Whittle.

Saccor hopos

EVERAL cricketers now on the Kinjured, lilak and picking up CZ0 a week--and "all for doing nothing.”

one county player puts it.

Reason? They took oui 6 410 insurance policy" at the alatt ni the season. It quarantees a £20 weekly benefi quit as long as thes gre out of the gaine through th fury caused while on the field,

There is also a lump sum of muu in the event of fatal injury. “Not that I want that sort of money, says Jim Laker, intent Surrey playOT to beneus under the scheme through

ETS have them. And lews have an ankle injury that rabbed war of a chance to play aqsinat, Kent at them not only in athletics, but Blackheath. In swimming. football. bowing and

the rest

Socerr stock should be expecially Compton's ámbition

prod. I may thin with memúries of

the way .A.0.R. representative]

sides hare cut up some of our tops the transfer natch League teams-chið this

of Albert

Calverley, the Aikenal outside-

with only a sprinkling af profem loft, to Preston North End show sionals to help them out.

Football 1s our national game, nover mind cricket Wish the Olympice bang in our own backyard, we need to make an impressive shows ing with D ali-amatour elaren against the Argentine, the Portu| gitera súd all those other: "oations: Whom we taught Soccer

It can be done. It should os done. And now, not next year when

to begin teambuilding.

Punching Guardsman

that the bonden club means to bank Donia Compton as the man to the wing position in the coming. on? I think so.

Compton is keen to make u "of his return to a fuli season's football. ile wants more than anything to win full England cap and ciineis jil double international Atle beyond all argu- ment :

1

Wartime appearances don't count. nor does the Victory International IN which Compton appeared in 1945 Denis knows this, none botter

le means to put things right next UGH the same goes for boxing. Soccer season. The chance is wide MU

Hore a start has been made by open, always assuming our selecto Including Brian Harding, a 21-year-forget Lisbon and the way Toming old Guardsman. in the Olymple Finger, the Preston plumber.

the felt-wing role with Stanley trials. Harging 10000

Mohows on the other dan.t

Whites.

New Plans for Developing Britain's

Future Olympic Swimming Champions

By WALTER PILKINGTON is on the fringe of national chosen-Brown Robertson and honours. He always reminds mo Gray for instance. Biggest nui- Twelve months hence--July Great Yarmouth. Deane, six of Jack Hearne both at the wic-sance is that each Test eats into 29 to August 14 next year-weight, has the physique to become championship.

four inches tall and 16 stone ket and with his, jaunty man- two county, games. The County London, capital of the country a perfect swimmer with nerisms in the field.

Championship is the basis of

I am not going to gild the lily

so far as numbers three and four

in the list are concerned. They are just Edrich and Comp ton without whom England would have already lost the rubber South Africans.

to

tect plished Scottish contingent who de-

in lighted Harry Koskie at the British.

PARIS REPORTER BEATEN

intensivo

for

Best of the girl swimmers were- pretty Gathle Gibson, Motherwell's dark haired marvel who has just set

many training. Another medical student.. cricket but I do not see how the which gave birth to an present unfortunate clashing can sports, will be staging the Olym- four years younger, Pat Kendall,

gels a place in Britain's team be avoided.. Anyhow Derby have pic games.

the European games. had Pope and Gladwin chosen, The traditional ceremonies will Preference is rightly given to up three new British records, and Gloucester, Barnett and Cook, have a Royal opening in the im- youths in most of the selections. A her team mate 20-year-old Nancy Lancashire Washbrook, Place and posing setting of Wembley Stadium seventeen-year-old Scot, John Sor- Riach, as fair Cronston; so why grumble?

Recreation Club provided the first floux who was recently benten in when Middlesex have lost those ENCOURAGING

Colony Singica Champion in S. Bell, who beat G. K. Haxton of the K.B.G.C. In the final, and won also the First Division League title which it proceeded to keep for the next three years,

Having got those four out, if still over the hapless bowlers

quite good have to face some batsmen, in addition to which

four wickets they are generally so far in front of the clock that the reminder can bat with happy. abandon in order to clinch vic- tory.

for

Shed

he Cathie's father who is Crabb's assis-

Neither

saw Cathio's later triumphs nor did they see the 100-

which yards free style thriller in Cathie was beaten by Nancy In tenth of a second photo finish; the

as Cathio 18 dark; should I by King George VI as Patron of the vice is picked instead of Empire A few years ago Nancy could not

14th Olympled. Over 40 of

second swim a stroke yet she has since won the champion John Davies as

to- nations asked have accepted invita-

certain lons to take part in the 17 vita string to Roy Ronnin in the 200 every British record from 100

strokes.

Romain, a 400 yards, Both girls are matnes breast

to be among Britain's Olympic com- selected

this great festival law student of superb build, is

coached Considerable progress has been brilliant exponent of the butterfly petitors. They had been

Motherwell Crabb, made with the immense task of stroke, now legalised In Britain.by. Mr Dave lousing

competitors and officials, Using this style in the 200.

yards Baths superintendent, and by accommodating and fixing Olympiad event at the A.S.A. ́contests the final of the English National

defalls.

established a new British champion-tant. 290 yards back stroke champion-

ahip record and two days The Amateur Swimming Associa- ship by Cathle Gibson of Blother

broke it in winning the final. tion's championships permitted 庭 well, at St Leonards, Sussex.

peep

at Britain's swimming Britain's selectors earned Monique is 21, a reporter for a

prospects. The powers behind the gratulation by their boldness in Scottish coaches were too busy at Parls

and weekly

Middicaox ДБ In addition,

Swimming Association are full brandcasts

of choosing two 14-year-old Scottish their baths training other youngsters.: and magazine,

amateurs Quar- wealth of young

enterprise and imagination and their girls, Margaret Girvan and Elinor whom they hope will become cham- frequently lives in Latin

Mann, Fairbairn and a

To assist in the development of vision reaches beyond the Olymplad of Gordon, for the Monte Carlo trip in plens. new dia-athletics in England and Wales, the next year to that

of 1952. They September. Margaret

plas

will be this thrillncy retained her title in packed race but Cathlo covery Ian Bedford, while there Ministry of Education is to make to create great enthusloar for second to the brillant 16-year-old won ona title back for Britain by is always a number of youngsters a grant of £2,250 to Britain's swimming by giving the sport

Cothie Gibson In the 100 metres

tres defeating handsome Menique - Ber- on the ground staff who can bo | Amateur Athletle Association, taken straight from bowling. In

Elinor will swim the litux, 21-year-old Paris newspaper new, popular appeal to the youth of backstroke.

100 Anali The menty will be used for sup- Britain. The intention is to try to 200 yards breast stroke. Margaret and magazine reporter in the the nets and put into the county plying sets of athletic equipment to produce Olymple

Cathlo champions

earlier had established a new British 220-yard record

the fun

The Taikoo Dockyard Recrea- tion Club stopped the Police reign In 1918 and kept hold of First ter. Division Honours for the next six years. Premier, league honours

newspaper

remained Talkoo's until 1926, R.A.F. Extending Sports though the KB.G.C. held she title for one year in 1920 and Craigen- gower came hto the pleture is

1925.

Activitios.

like

BRITISH ATHLETES

con-

aido, This is a great, advantago. be stored by the County, Ansocla- | special training and develop and Elinor are two of the accom-yards, backstroke

As a result of experience, gained over other counties who are tions of the AAA and made avall-mers at events, staged on a

- It was not rail tha, real-First { sloick "tenen at St Moritz Inst win-{ serve, Leicester, Warcester, andic, without chaṛke, to:clubs and Ukeby to attract Idrgo.

Ice-

Are

by Britain's Royal Air Force. bob- | denied the benefit of a large re able,

other voluntary organisations in the

the Chief adviser to the ASA is Harry World War period that Craigon ter, the RAF Winter Sports Associa- Northants, for instance, could not surrounding areas. Apart from the Koskie, discoverer

of that outstand that facilities for ensuring that

Ing W

Norman Wainwright. 'swimmer power got the bowling bug. Then ton has decided to include

n a Mr P. T. Lamble laid the hockey and ski-ing in its activities possibly afford to keep the re-necessity

available for those wishing to Koskid in September will take is sarvos they have at Lord's. Association frat green at a cost of $325. The next season. The

take-tip athletjes as a healthy, pan-skeleton Olympic team from Britain also sponzoring a scheme to offer a green was no tricky that Craigen winter sports holiday of 14 days at

It is just possibio that Testime, whatever their athletic poten- to Monte Carlo for the European calls will defeat Middlesex in the tlalitics, the A.A.A. is confident that games and will be in charge gower men learned to take St Moritz,

the widering, Interest of athletes. In training plans for Britain's Clympic He is convinced sports would result in the competitors.

holding its own in-Berself. In Olympic swimming evente Britain will give a good account of

SPORTING SÁM

By Reg. Wootton

field

Untied

and is hopeful of producing future The equipment which would be champions who will show the world minde available would be hurdles, something really exciting four years Jumping standards, senior and junior after that discus. Javelins, weights and ham-

mor,

+

PROMISING YOUNGSTERS

Welcoming the A.A.A/'s proposnia

Two of his most bromising swim- for the development of the athletics, the Ministry has asked to be kept mera are Jack Wright, a 17-year-old Hull bank clerk, and Ray Legg, a Informed of the progress of the Bristol school boy. Veteran Norman scheme Tho grant in conditional

on the..

equipment. Belhimhad avail-Wainwright praised them for their performances in the A.SA, cham- able not only to County Associa- lions for championships and pionships, matches, but also for meetings for

anised by clu55, Youth organisa-

Koside also has in bind Willam a 24-year-old Hamilton-Doane;

llons and, if necessary, schools, medical student, son of a doctor of

Arthur Peall says:

Pizit pocketing red, attikor A was left touching pirik en shown Without st Da left of diagram. tompdig to blt another colour, by pink without played way from

BLUE

1000GKEAD

WYRH'

and its A oponent sno blared

by plak with green

for the event from Nancy."

Another British Olymple girl hope who is. 19-year-old Lilian Precce made a new 100 yards.championship record at the same meeting and gets Into Britain's Monte Carlo team ass La reward.

a)

In the women's quarter mile free style. race, record shattering Cothle

only one-Afth of Gibson was second outside the 10-year-old re- card established by the world beat- ing

swimmer Ragnhild Danish

stručting.

··Opponen

PEPted ・that the

ba

:

rules.com Hple honours: are believed to-

within the powers of young, strong Patrick Kendall whose Inclu

team slon in Britain's European follows the victories he gained in the national contests with a stroko similar to that which

to lay away from pink hit another cdlours and claimed "fowl and free-ball. 210 wen M

Taken: diagram stroke - in 1947, Striker in thin colour, including tie totching pink, and may play 15. leave opponent snookered as indi- ested,

fted was the ball on and striker had free-ball after, a fold when faced by the teave shown on the right. Nominating blue, hejuft trist bail and pocketed red direct. His old tag that ho troke was fair because tea was the ball an ww Willig, siroke was a fou because 210. did not h the. nomlasted balk

·

mally

gained the at the 1032.

Other of Britain's sportswomen

an athletics team-are to get pre- Olympic experience in Paris in Sep- tember and a team of 18 may visit: Turin for contests, with: they -Italians.