1947-08-23 — Page 8

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 1947.

•SPORTS FEATURES

Iron Curtain Lifted On Soviet Sport

NEW "BOGEYMAN" ARISES

(By RECORDER)

A few days ago the iron curtain on sport in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics lifted suddenly with a Moscow despatch to the effect that the All- Union athlete, Alexander Pugachevsky, had set a new record for the 3,000 metres steeplechase with a 9 minutes, 10-seconds performance.

:

Alike to English surnames, most) Golovkin crept in and later two pole- Nusalon surnames can be literally vaulters, Rufevski and Osolin, who, translated. Rendered Into its nearest with Charles Hoff of Norway, hop- English equivalent, Pugachevsky pen to be the only three European would mean "Bogeyman." His per- athletes to better 14 feet in the vault. formance over the 3,000 metres Then, in another dunl meet with steeplechase, a standard Olympic Finland, the Soviets produced a high- event, would very nearly guarantee Jumper named Kowtun who cleared A number of him a place in the first six in Lon- feel 01% don should the Russians decide to

began also creeping. compete.

distance runners in into the first ten.

come the war and

Soviet

the Olympic Games have so for even en went behind the Iron Cur-

CASH PRESENTS

Efforts to bring the Russians into involved unoffelal British diplomatic taln. At the end of the war, the missions. Lord Burghley, an impor- Soviet, despite heavy war losses, had fant Agure in British, European unda formidable array of athletic stars World

To- athletics recently went to to put into the field at Oslo. Russia to watch the All-Unies Games day they presumably have the ser- and to discuss amateurism with the vices also of many a Sovietized Balt. All-Sporta Soviet.

Tho Baltic countries have always been leaders in the jumps and weight events,

Not in athletics alone have the Sovlet proved themselves the bogey- men of Europe. Recently they won the European basketball champion- ship, beating the Czecha 56-37 in the always been a popular final nt Prague. Basketball hos

and the Czectis, fungarians.

Home

Bulgars, Poies

CAMPBELL MARKS SPEED COURSE

British Tennis

Slumps Again

(By Paul Irwin)

On the evidence of our latest international lawn tennis defeat, Great Britain's selectors have no fore- sight, no policy, and a very poor idea of the way to put our players back on the Davis Cup map.

Butler was not invited. He was out in the cold, and would prob- ably have stayed out but for slam- ming his way to the final of the British hurd court doubles cham-, plonship.

The Russians have a way of pre-

Our tennis stock has no ver been lower. That's nd- senting, nico cash presents from the State for a new record. The system,

mitted. But it came out pre tty clearly in the Scarborough not yet tried in other countries, seems

match against South Africa that we failed to make best to work. Every now and then some

use of the material available. husky Slay bounces over his head a heavier collection of hardware than

Donald Bubler lost the key sin- апустка short of a Turk has ever

gles to Eustace Fannin on the first managed. He then gets a big cheque to spend in the All-Union co-opera-Egyptians have crackerjack teams,

and day through an attack of cramp. Rank bad luck? Perhaps, but 1 tive stores.

As the European wrestling cham-think there is good reason why Russian efforts toward new records pionships held at Prague recently have not, however, been limited to the Russians copped also the heavy Butler's physical condition, always weight-lifting performances. The

light-heavyweight and Ho sound in other years, let him Russians have finally got down to all

weight, middleweight titles, placed second in down. sports. They

have produced some of the world's best footballers, the lightweight and third in

welterweight. Wrestling happens basketballers, breast-stroke swim-

to be one of Europe's must mers, wrestlers and feminine hard-so

popular sporting postimes.

The Russians have yet to produce

contender

for Wimbledon. At Berlin, occasionally, some American officers invite some Soviet officers around for a spot of tennis. everywhere but where it scores a two points are worth 15 and subsequent two 10.

ware-heavers.

a

the

The

He played little top-flight tennis since the autumn, and had been given no real line by the LT.A. chiefs that he might even be con- aldered for this season's team."

I think it pretty safe to assume I cannot read Butler's mind. Yet

the discards-a belief strengthen

to

MORE TIME NEEDED Next thing, he was chosen play against Poland.

It left him only ten daya to limber up for the match-and men of 36 need a lot more time to train for big kennis.

In & launch towing another munch carrying a pylon, Sir Malcolm Campbell (arrowed) goes out on Coniston to mark the course for his attempt on the water *peed record. In ilic Iaunch with bim Was Itt's

below- daughter Jean, scen Evening Standard pictures.

Why Do British Horses Lose?

SUPERIOR FRENCH TRAINING

(By JAMES PARK)

What is lacking in the British thoroughbred today? The question has been asked often enough, over since Souverain ran away from our Derby and St Leger winner, Airborne, in the King George VI Stakes at Ascot last autumn. It was repeated after Imprudence had won the 1,000 Guineas and Oaks and reached a climax when Pearl Diver spreadeagled the field in the Derby,

Just by way of rubbing It In fappearance as a two-year-old was Chanteur brought off a double at in a mile race, which he won. Hurst Park and older horses in the Cup.

outclassed our Coronation

FAR ENOUGH? Our trainers will not do that

The rot really set in at the be-sort of thing. They thinle alx fur- ginning of the war. In 1939 longs, is as far sa a high class Djebel-not even eligible for ad- two-year-old should be asked to misalon to the English Stud Book travel. -came over to win our juvenile classic, the Middle Park Stakes. The following year he won the 2,000 Gulnens quite easily. There Is little doubt he would have won the Derby-but by that time the Germans had invaded France and he was unable to come over

RATION CARDS

So far as breeding and training Is concerned we have only onc excuse. It is the rationing that has been imposed by the Minister of Food. He has laid it down that overy form of thoroughbred horse or mare must be rationed. Horses have ration cards, the same as we have.

Instead of giving brood mares and horses in training what they require to provide the necessary vitamins, their quota of oats has been cut down to less than half.

It is difficult to find out what has happened in France. When in oc- cupation the Germans encouraged racin which took place much more regularly than in this coun-

try.

The anme policy is adopted for three-year-olds. In the first half of the season there are numerous poules. They are the trials for the classic races and usually about a mile to a mile and a quarter. But by the time the Derby arrives the non-stayers have to content them- solves with smaller prizes. All the more valuable events are for stay- ers.

There is no wrapping them up in cotton wool with only an occa- sional race. Fronch horses run much more frequently than ours. their horses in training until they They also believe in keeping

น

too

are five or six years olt, whereas

Britain it has

often been the case of refusing to risk plamaging a reputation and retir ing a horse to the stud at the end of his second season.

HARDY' RACE

In that way French breeders have the knowledge when horses go to the stud, that they have been able to stand up to the racket of racing. In our caso that evidence has often been lacking.

France set out to breed a hardy It cannot be denied that she has succeeded. It is up to us to copy French me- thoda.

JICES'S

famed Maggie couldn't throw a rolling-t in a fraction of distance as far as did some of the Soviet lasses a discus or javelin at the European Games. nt Oslo last Russians, they report, wallop the ball that he believed ho was well among do too badly in the male section of point and puzzle over why the frat ed by his failure to gain a place out of the doubles on his fighting / two strokes for moving a crowd told, there was always the black race of horses.

year.

At Oslo also, the Russians did not

the European Games. They pinced a sprinter named Karakulov first in the 200 metres in 21.6 seconds. They bagged second place in the pole vault through Osolin, second place in the shot put through Gorjalnov and In the decathlon through second Sergel Kuznetsov.

While quite a few Soviet athletes competed at Oslo, quite few others did not. Presumably they had not managed a Stakhanovist red flag over their machines in the factory or were six months behind schedule in getting their lance-corporal's stripe. FORMIDABLE NAMES American Olympic-dopestera have been taking a peep behind the fron curtain and have unearthed some other formidable names in Soviet athletics. Bigger bogeymen than Pugachevsky, we hear, formidable behemoth named Lipp in the shot put who pushes the iron ball nway in disgust to a mark of some 65 feet and a hop-step-jumper nam ed Zambrimborts who romps 50 feet in practice leaps

the

600-metre,

arc a

the

It takes a lot to get down to the bottom of capitalism.

in the 1946 team.

Along came the Davis Cup trials at the Cumberland Club Inst April,

My World of Sport By PAUL IRWIN

90,000,000 See This Game Every Year

Although basketball is one of the Cinderella spòrts

in England, America attendance figures show that it draws nearly 90,000,000 customers a year-and 90, 000,000 people can't be wrong.

The average American won't look at any game lacking colour, thrills over and speed. He wants action all the time, and basketball supplies it in a

Soviet athletics go back to the late very big way. 19228. Bring very shy people or, alternately, just for the sake of being It is for this reason that a top- different, the Soviets for some years class match at New York's famous staged All-Union championships in Madison-square Garden can pull

300 metre,

1,000 10,000 spectators through the tum- metre and other assorted distances stiles on the worst winter's night. usually off the standard European running event distance. Thus they Yot what do we find at home? began setting world records in events The handful of British basketball that the athletes of other countries players-certainly, not more than seldom attempted.

3,000-are written off as cream-puft

It is an interesting practice. The performers by the prejudiced sport writer of this article, a mediocre ing fan. long-jumper, holds the world record

for the hop, step and double jump

and the hop, double step and jump.

MISTAKEN IDEA

At any rate he has yet to sca any I know why, There is o' mistaken mention anywhere of a record sur-idea that the game is only netbal] passing his own.

masquerading under another name. Some time in the early thirties, and netball is one of those affaire however, the Russians decided that we ascociate will sweet, young they would try a litle International things in gym tunics and the sound competition. They took on the Fin of shrill girlish daughter. and, though they lost the dual meet, scored an imposing number Lof points,

They soon got the right slant on the sport following American mis- sionary work.

As the game came out of obscurity at Springfield, Mass., where Dr

up a James Naismith first slung

and in- couple of peach baskets vented basketball in 1891, they saw it had everything-pace, court craft and drama,

Really, you have to see a couple of crack American "eights" in action before you are won over.

routine that beats ice-hockey by a Then, as the boys go through a distance, you know the game is a long, long way from being netball.

6 FT. 4 INS. AVERAGE

- We can show nothing like it-yot. Still, along at Wembley Pool on July 19 was a pretty fair imitation of the American whirlwind style.

I don't wonder Nor- man was hopping mad.

We bent the Poles. It was not too tough a job, and Butler came heart and experience. The South control post. Africans were next. Suddenly, a lot too suddenly, the player was shuffled into the singles by veteran Fred Stowe, who was Great Bri- tain's non-playing-captain.

**

Don't ask me why. All I know Is this: If the captain foresaw the possibility of popping Butler Into the singles he should have given him a run against one of the Poles.

TEAMWORK TELLS

Now doubles and singles are as different ms chalk and cheese. I to say it was a major blunder -make-the-change-against-the

Springboks, who are

no

man's

Those days have gone when a small clique at St. Andrews could rule golf without considering the growth of the game beyond the boundaries of the Old course.

Rules are rules, but it is rank discourtesy to a visiting golfer or any golfer to keep him so. long in ignorance of the penalty for his "crime."

Feeding-stuffs were eald to be scarce but, from what I have een market, The time came when on the racecourse number boards in- formation was put up indicating which horses had been fed with cats and those who had been less fortunate. That was killed when in one race the only horse who had not been fed with oats proved too good for the opposition.

TRAINING

Giya

We will have the blood. us the rattons and let broeders do the rest. We already have two French stallions in Prince Cheva- lior and Chanteur. If we have to import a few more, all the better. We can't go on as we are doing if we are to maintain our position In the world of thoroughbred

Apart altogether from this ques-breeding. ton of feeding they hold diferent

There is also our export trade. Or don't proa count at St. An-views in France on how the thor Those French successes are bound oughbred should be brought up to be recognised in every part of drows?

and how racing should be condue ted. Their horses are trained differently from ours.

THIS GAME THRILLS

It has taken Rugby-no'ball, play- ed on Clapham and Wandsworth Cuimmons by a league of eight mugs."

teams, nearly 47 years to get any- Why switch the doubles team thing like the publicity it deserves. at all?

The game, combining the best features of netball, Soccer, Rugby and hockey, la just about the fastest thing there is after ice- hockey,

Such stuff a sheer murder. Teamwork tells in doubles all the time and every time, but here we are changing partnera and courts until the players are in flat spin,

It is time for a change. If the Old Gang won't step aside grace- fully to let young men run the show, then they should be sacked. The job must be given to those who know Davis Cup tennis from experience on the court, not the sidolines. Neither Fred Stowe, with more than 20 years' service on the LT.A, Council, nor any one of the selectors has this experience,

Or there is Harold Lee, a mag- nificent hard-court player, on hand to help in the singles.

It was a match between the un- Let's call in Pat Hughes, who beaten Polish Carpathians, now our has a record of 22 Davis Cup ap- Thus, while 22 nations sent basket.

national champlona, and a repre-pearances, to adviac on tho ball teams to the 1930 Olympic

perlative English line-up. The doubles pairings. FEATS ACKNOWLEDGED Games, Great Britain's players were Poles, most of whom helped their From the mid-thirties Russian right out of the Berlin argument

country to finish fourth to America performances began finding their through lack of encouragement,

in Berlin, are

great lot, just about way into the annual lists of the best The situation has not changed the best ever seen

here, 10 European performances

much in the last 11 years, although standard athletic events compiled by the Amateur Basketball Association Average height of their players in Mr Harold M. Abrahams in the Sun- of England and Wales plans to be aft. tins, although England was day Times.

repreccisted at the Wembley Games hardly lacking in melis First Russian. to break in was a next year.

Anyway, I note that "Tiny" Cole, 400-metre runner named Ljulka who

fine, dough performer from Bir mingham, negotiated

distanco in

stands 6ft. Bins, from floor tho

48.0 seconds. Then a' 10.0 sprinter named

in Oft. Ains. EDIT of winning chance. ・・・ The Othors on vlow Included Americans are a lot too strong for Kew-ft. 31⁄2, and still grow

the Continentals, who Ing at the age of 10-and Alec Eke; that, while have discovered basketball la aa former Ralph Reader

"Gang game for he-men, can probably boat Show", boy,, who is a mere 5t. us as they like.

WIN WITH {LUCKY_X}

TIPSTER:

SUPREME

GLAMORGAN

Banay

Ambly

I DAVE-

2

WINNERS

LAST

FOR

CONSECUTIVE

SO I WAS WONDERING

IF WE COULD

COME TO BOME ARRANGEMENT

to

Another, set of ancients-both Royal and Ancient--get no modals for their cavaller treatment of tralian golfer, at St: Andrews.

Not that our team will have any Land. Michael Finday, a Norman von Nida, the little Aus-

SPORTING SAM

11/ins

Denis

three hours to make up their minds It took the Rules Sub-Committed that von Nida should be penalised (Continued in Next Column)

By Reg. Wootton

|

|

Here we have the sort bred from sprinting stallions who come early to hand. They are trained to jump out of the gate and go as fast as they can for five furlongs. There is little hope of them, be cause of their breeding, staying any further.

That sort of thing is not en. couraged in France. In fact, it is There is no offside, passes (with well-nigh impossible. There is a rule that French two-year-old · can a Rugby ball) can be made at any

not run except in selling races up- til June. Then, as the season pro- angle, and the teams of ten a side play in plimsolls or lacrosse boots,gresses, the distance is lengthened, Tackling between shoulder and The more valuable prizes are for knee is allowed.

races at a greater distanco than five furlongs.

*

Maximum dimensions for the field are 100 yards by 50 yards, iron hoops form the goals-they're 3 ft. in diameter and 11 ft. Gins. from the ground-and practically anything goes except tripping and punching.

The best class colts and Allies are not trained to jump out of the gate and go as fast as they cap. They are trained to stay. It is no uncommon thing for a two-year-old to make a first appearance in a mile or even a mile and a quarter race. Souverain did so. His only

Gilman &

extend

the world and we can't afford to sit still and do nothing about it.

Arthur Peall says:

TRIKER wanted 10 pouts to W.

whon faced by the leave shown at spot and of dingram. Bitie, pink, and black offer a break of 18. Striker ta on blus and must lake grost caro when pocketing that bail,

To clear the board and make the

PINAO

Dronk ho

must play

udgad BLACK

cannon from blue 10 black

the

aldo citsh 101. Fall- ure ruina the breakc

packeted.

success leaves an essỹ shot on pink with black to follow. Every thing depends on correct strength and accurate ball striking. No side is requirod-t La A plain ball 4oquence

Contre of table shows a middle“, pocket in-on white of R type often missed because cue ball blimps on the jaw of the pocket. Avold this common cause of failure by pinying a confideat stroke with top but në Ride on Cuo-ball."

Company Ltd.

you a cordial invitation to visit a

Motor Show

at their newly decorated Showrooms 132, Nathan Road, Kowloon

on

Friday, August 22nd from 4.00 p.m. onwards

and continuing on August 23rd 24th and 25th A comprehensive range of postwar models will. be on display and a film entitled "Progress" depicting the activities of the Rootes Group will be shown during the evening,