valuable practice

Fiji, Tahiti get some valuable practice for next Games

From A. F. TINSLEY, in Suva Fiji in February was swamped under the biggest sports invasion since the First South Pacific Games in 1963. From French Polynesia came athletes, tennis, basketball and table-tennis players; from Auckland came a young women’s basketball team called the Eagles, who came not so much to win as to help promote the game here.

Both groups proved popular. They offered much know-how, and at the same time, accommodated with local families, they learned much about Fiji. The meetings, with their invaluable international experience, indicated that Fiji could spring surprises at the Port Moresby Games in 1969.

Fiji sports groups could do with more such visits, and look forward to those this year by the All Blacks, Tonga and New Zealand club Rugby teams, and a Chinese basketball team from Wellington, Although the visiting Tahitians soon mastered the intricacies of tennis on grass courts, of which they knew little, and proved rather too strong for the local talent, Suva v.

Tahiti and Fiji v. Tahiti contests

at the Suva Lawn Tennis Club brought out the best in local players, Suva lost 4-1 and Fiji lost 3-2 in rubbers in the first tennis inter nationals ever played in the colony (excepting during the South Pacific Games), but some close, exciting tennis provided entertainment for the spectators, who included the Governor, Sir Derek Jakeway, and Lady Jakeway, both keen tennis fans, The home side women excelled themselves; Mrs. Adrienne Duberal and Mrs. Wendy Taylor winning the only rubber in the Suva match, and for Fiji Mrs. Duberal was the heroine in defeating Tahiti’s No. 2 player, Mme. Helene Chang 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in a gruelling contest, She then teamed with Brian See to outplay the powerful mixed combina-

tion, Raymond Caisson and Mn Marinetta Pichevin, after droppi set one at 0-6 before a blisteri attack, then winning the second 11 and the third 6-2.

In three Suva-Tahiti “test matche home basketball players confound expectations by meting out a f; trouncing to the vaunted Tahiti women. After the first test w abandoned in a deluge at half-tin with Suva ahead 16-8, the seco went to Suva in a runaway 46win, and the third saw Suva trium 38-32, after Tahiti staged a gre rally, to come within six points victory.

Large crowds supported all thi matches.

Nobody gave Fiji much char in the table tennis. Tahiti brou* some of their finest players, includi the almost twin-like brothers, Her and Francis Wo, little wizards their own right.

But for Henry. Fiji wizardry outc Tahitian wizardry in the third a last “test”, Jese Ligairi inflicting Henry his first-ever defeat in int national competition in Fiji, Tab New Guinea or New Caledonia, was a tough battle, but Jes superiority on the night was i doubted.

Fiji drew the first test, lost t

Far ahead of their two Tahitian rivals, i seen in the picture, are Sotutu, event[?] winner, and Raciri, finally second, runn[?] mid-way through the 3,000 metres ev[?] at the Fiji-Tahiti track and field meeting February in Suva. Behind them are t[?] other Fijians who ran as individuals, [?] in the event as part of the team, and [?] well to keep close behind the two lead for a large part of the race.

Photo: Stan Whip[?]

J. Salmon, of Tahiti, seen in one of his classic straddles dur ing the high - jump competition, which he won at six feet.

Photo: Stan Whippy.

second narrowly, and drubbed the visitors seven matches to four in he third, thus halving the series.

Afterwards Mr. Jim Jones, presi lent of the Fiji and Suva Table Fennis Association, said he had been »reatly encouraged by the sporting vay in which the matches were flayed.

“This is just what the game wants,” le said. “More international goodwill las been engendered by this series han can possibly be estimated, fiends played friends; good sports flayed good sports. In a way, we ivenged Fiji’s defeats by the "ahitians at the Noumea Games, and •roved that next year at Port Moresby we should be able to send table tennis team capable of giv ig a good account of itself.”

It was in the athletics that Fiji sally shone.

After taking a valuable lead of ve events to nil in the first section f the 25-event meeting three days arlier, Fiji later went to town on ahiti with a vengeance.

Overall, Fiji won eight of the 14 ack events and 10 of the 11 field Dntests —a quite astonishing achieve lent—and swamped the visitors by 53 points to 97.

Fine runner

Spearheading Fiji to victory were aimone, a fine young runner from clean Memorial School, Nausori; id Salote, a young woman javelin irower, who both won their events id set new records.

Saimone ran magnificently to win ic 400 metres in the new Fiji all )mers’ record time of 49.4 seconds, ith Levula (Catholic Amateur thletics Club) second, and the two ahitian contestants Taputuarai and [artin back in third and fourth aces.

Salote, also a power on the track, irled her spear 127 ft li in. to t new Fiji national and all-comers’ cords.

The 3,000 metres went to Fiji’s ternational, Sotutu of Navuso, with aciri of Ratu Kadavalevu School cond, and the two Tahitians far hind. In the 800 metres, Archie alentine of Suva Grammar School pped the fine young runner Peceli, the Lomavata Club, on the final rve, passing him inside after Peceli d led throughout, to win a cleverly dged race with Tahitians Betzing d Taata having long before faded.

Tahiti’s splendid high-jumper (and ick expert) Salmon electrified the owd, which again included the ivernor, with his beautiful straddl ?, worthy of an Olympic Games pert. With almost disdainful ease

he won the high-jump with a six foot clearance. His own Tahiti record is 6 ft 5 in.

The great Tahiti athlete, Bourne, was almost untouchable in winning the 100 and 200 metre sprints, and took second place in the triple jump after a battle royal with Fiji’s Bulators (Catholic Amateur Athletic Club) who won with the fine figure of 45 ft 3 in.

Greatly liked for themselves, and admired for their play, were the Auckland Eagles, but they were rarely their real selves on the concrete, outdoor courts on which they played all but one of their 10 matches against Fiji clubs.

After a fortnight in the colony they returned home with a record of five wins, four losses and a draw —the latter the most exciting game of the series, against the Suva team “Who Cares”, which ended 29-all.

The Auckland girls played at Lautoka, Vatukoula, Suva and Taveuni.

Fiji's young runner, Saimone, comes roar ing home to win the 400 metres in Fiji all comers' record time. Photo: Stan Whippy.