Engendered in Fiji

Wrestling Banned

Inter-Racial Bad Feeling Engendered in Fiji

From Our Own Correspondent

Suva, May 21.

ALL-IN wrestling, which has been in the boom in Suva since the beginning of the year, has been stopped, temporarily at least, by the police, and the five matmen, who have been performing here, left for Australia by the Monterey on May 12.

It is understood that this action was taken on account of a considerable amount of inter-racial bad feeling that had been aroused by the wrestling, owing to the fact that the five wrestlers comprised two Europeans, one Chinese and two Indians.

Throughout the series, the two Indians had the best of the contests, a fact which suited the promoters, for when the Indians were winning, it drew a large audience of their countrymen who, by their numerical strength, proved a better paying audience than the Europeans. If the Indians lost, it was noticeable that there was a smaller attendance.

There is no doubt that there has been a strong undercurrent of bad feeling existent during the series, and on. several occasions it would have taken very little provocation to start several fights in the vicinity of the stadium. Several times the police had to warn the participants with regard to the application of “rough stuff.”

Unfortunately, there is no legislation on the Fiji statute book to govern wrestling, but it is understood that regulations are being framed, in the event of there being any future contests arranged here. These regulations, it is believed, will embody a

clause prohibiting wrestling between European and Indian.

In a colony such as Fiji, this is a very necessary clause, for although in New Zealand or Australia, there might be no objection to Indian wrestlers meeting Europeans, it has to be remembered that those countries have not the large Indian population of Fiji. The effect of the large percentage of Indian wrestling victories on the general rank and file of the less educated class of Indian here has not been a good one.