Sperts Review

NG and NNG in

International Tennis

From AAP-Reuter and W. E. Tausent AUSTRALIA defeated Holland by five games to four when the first international tennis event was held in Hollandia, NNG re cently.

The visitors came from just across the border in Papua and New Guinea —but their Dutch hosts had marked the scoreboard “Aus tralia” and “Holland”, and before they got there the six Australian players (three men and three women, four from Port Moresby and two from Goroka), and their 23 supporters who went along in the chartered aircraft, had to go through all the hoops of visas and currency exchange.

The games were played under in

ternational rules; silver medals had been struck for the winners of the competition; bronze ones for the runners-up.

The Australians were over whelmed at the hospitality they received —and a very pleasant time appears to have been had by all —including the spectators who saw some excellent tennis. Australian Graham Regan was judged, in Hollandia, to have been the best player.

Acting Governor, T. C. Baarspull, of NNG has donated a trophy for regular competition between players of the two Territories. Next time the Dutch players will visit Port Moresby.

Plans are in hand to organise Soccer matches between teams from the two Territories also.

Fijians will Make it

Short—and Sharp

From Norman Baxter, in Suva rpHE Fijian rugby footballers are X off on another tour this winter —this time to the neighbouring island group of Tonga.

The tour will be short and sharp, lasting three weeks, during which seven matches, including three tests, will be played.

Tonga has asked that Fiji send the strongest team available.

However, it is unlikely that all the best men will be among the tourists, mainly because of the cost of assembling and outfitting the team.

Good men from Nadi, Lautoka and Vatukoula, apart from players

in Vanua Levu, are likely to miss out for this reason.

Tonga is paying most of the cost, including fares to and from Fiji.

Even then the Fiji Rugby Union expects to spend about £250 on trials and assembling and outfitting the team.

The Fiji Rugby Union, unfortu nately, does not have very much money, and is never likely to have much unless the New Zealand Rugby Union, which has made a fortune out of Fijian tours, comes to light with a decent grant.

Over all, Fiji has done pretty well in the way of tours overseas, and visits to the Colony. Fijian sides went to New Zealand in 1951 and 1957, and to Australia in 1952 and 1954.

One Suva side made a brief tour of Auckland. From overseas there have been two Maori sides (1948

end 1954), a third string Australian side (1953), and Samoa (1956).

Several New Zealand club sides have organised private tours, and one of these is expected about the end of this season.

" Upstarts" It Is

From Our Honiara Corresponded Adopting the name “Upstc suggested in a heading April PIM, the Honiara F pean Soccer Team has ere history by entering the hitl entirely native competition w has been going now for 12 y y With 12 teams in the competi the Upstarts, bedecked in red white, face some stiff oppos and have already tasted dJ against a medical side, althi a second round that ended : 2-all draw has been a morale b ter.

Better condition and skill come as the season progresses the meantime there is no d that the addition of the Euro< team has enlivened spectator tcrest with both Melanesians Europeans.

It's Captured Their

Imagination

From Frank Hooter, in RabaulJ HOCKEY is a new game Rabaul —the opening rourr the Rabaul Hockey Assi< tion’s first competition began on May 11.

Just to show that the New Hebrides is present when it comes sport, John Antonio sends this photograph of the Mele Soccer tea —one of Vila’s best, he says.

ilready the game appears to aptured the imagination of xed bloods and the natives.

Id do a lot towards assimila all races. : success of the new game largely due to Eric Harrmg i Ron Curtis. Both players :heir hockey in India, ueen’s Birthday weekend a itative Rabaul eleven flew Moresby to take part in a Carnival that was being ere.

Nat Got His

r Crossed?

By Peter Hall >T British Empire “Ring” igs with regard to Johnny ifihi are confusing when d with world ratings, e Empire, line-up, Halafihi I third, below champion Pompey and Yvon Durelle, da. Fourth rated is Randy er , in the world ratings, and Durelle are rated nd fourth with Randy thirteenth. ii is in number 38 position! ie has been rated below /ho are not considered fit usion in British Empire eischer seems to have got > crossed somewhere along heavyweight division, the is even more bewildering, ratings put Kitione Lave 3r five, with Tom Hini and ray of Fiji at nine and 10 fly. World ratings put Hini

at number 45, Lave 47 and Bray at 61.

Again, boxers have been rated above them who are disregarded in British Empire circles.

Plenty of Everything

In Rarotonga

From a Special Correspondent Rarotonga, in the cooks, has become really sports-minded.

Amateur boxing is showing a revival; the yachting season has just officially ended but there is still weekend activity on Ngatangiia lagoon; the golf club is getting even more keen; cricket and tennis are increasing in popularity.

A big athletics meeting has only recently finished.

And a camera club, and amateur radio club, have just been formed.

Rabaul Now Home on

The Horse's Back

ARRIVAL from Australia of seven horses, has meant a revival of racing for the Rabaul Amateur Turf Club. Reason for the few months’ gap in the racing pro gramme: Not enough horses.

The new importations have been bought by club members, and more shipments are planned, with the hope of bringing the racing total to 40.

The second meeting of the May- June double was held at Vulcan Racecourse on June 14 (Queen’s Birthday weekend). Good fields ac cepted for each of the five races on the programme.

T he two international teams, Netherlands New Guinea (with es) and Papua-New Guinea, with officials, photographed in India during the tennis matches. Teams were “Australia”: Graham n, Ron Yeo, Ray Turner, Mrs. Rogers, Mrs. Chandler Mrs enson. Holland”: Ernst Rachel, Flores Smet, Claude Belloni, Hommes, Miss Mulder, Miss Van der Bel.

Photo: Hollandia Film.