Foreign sportsmen

give their best in New Caledonia

From Helen Rousseau,

in Noumea Over the past couple of

months, New Caledonian “sport

ifs” have received several visits

from metropolitan French sports

men as well as competing with neighbouring island teams and

providing good advertising media

for businessmen into the bargain.

The Caledonians have been fortunate in receiving special coaching from French national trainers as well as measuring themselves against various other Pacific teams, in preparation for next September’s Games in Tahiti.

First famous athlete to fly into the territory from France was 50year-old Alain Mimoun, veteran long distance runner. The Frenchman was received by the local athletics federation to join with Caledonian runners in 10,000 and 5,000 metres events.

Champion of the marathon at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, the veteran athlete now runs the 10,000 in 32 mins. 30 secs. His visit to Noumea was planned to encourage young Caledonian athletes in the sporting spirit.

Next visitors were the Tamaki Rugby team from New Zealand in a triangular tournament with Cale donian and Wallis Island players. The Kiwis won. A visiting New Hebrides team was defeated by the Caledonians in October, after the latter had suffered a surprise 2:0 defeat in the New Hebrides.

A national French coach for table tennis came next. The coach had also passed through French Poly nesia and the Caledonians were interested to hear that this rival French territory at the moment was not quite up to their standard.

Student sport came to the fore from mid-October, with a series of encounters arranged between Cale donians and visiting teams from the New Hebrides.

Events over two weekends began with athletics and included basketball, volleyball and soccer. A boxing evening, including NZ and Austra lian opponents, was also held in Noumea during October. At the same time, Caledonian basketballers were to fly to NZ and play matches in Auckland and Wellington. In the boxing, the Australians dominated

the professional matches and the Caledonians won only one amateur bout over the New Zealanders.

Major recent event in the Cale donian sporting calendar has, of course, been the fourth annual cycling tour around the island.

The enthusiasm for this trial seems to grow from year to year.

Prizes given at diverse landmarks along the route this year reached an estimated $15,000. This was in addition to the numerous awards made at the end of the race on September 24.

This year 30 cyclists took part, including five from Australia, NZ, and Tahiti, and, for the first time, two from metropolitan France.

The 755-mile course lasted 12 days, starting from Noumea and following the east coast. The men then struggled north through dust and stony roads, around the far tip of the island, and returned via the west coast to Noumea.

Two gendarme motor escorts and a caravan of helpers, with replace ment wheels, tyres and food, drove along with the cyclists.

Thousands of cheering Caledonians lined the route through tribes and villages. At each stopover inland a night’s entertainment was held with a touring band for the weary com petitors.

On the last lap back to Noumea, the route was lined thick with cars and shouting supporters. Several thousand more crammed the velo drome at Magenta, where the 24 finishers made triumphal circuits of the speed track at the end of their ordeal.

Overall winners were the two Frenchmen—Marcel Gaffajoli and Maurice Aussenac. Third place went to New Zealander Brian Fleck. John Ross and Alan Spokes, both of Sydney, came next. Tbe other New Zealander, Jack Broome of Auckland, finished 21st with a badly grazed right leg. The sole Tahitian com petitor, Tony Van Bastolaer, com peting for the second time, finished 10th. • Chateau Royal, New Caledonia’s newest, largest luxury resort, started expansion construction in October to accommodate 25,000 visitors an nually by 1973. Two six-storey buildings, providing an additional 250 rooms, will be constructed over the two-year period. Duty free shops, boutiques, sauna and eating facilities will be expanded. The fully air con ditioned hotel, operated by UTH International Hotels, now has 78 rooms and suites, two restaurants, bars, swimming pool and beach facilities.