The Sixth Annual Athletic Meetting came toa most successful conclusion at the Stadium in Kiangwan jon Sunday. At the opening of the Fifth Annual Athletic Meeting at Nanking on the Double Tenth in 11933, Mr. Wang Ching-wel express-led the hope that by these meetings the national physique would be improved and a new spirit would be imparted to the masses of the people. Following that meeting the Education Ministry, in July of last year, ordered the various provincial departments and municipal bureaux introduce physical culture courses in normal schools. To those jin Shanghai who know what a pro-jinment part Chinese athletes play jin various forms of sport, the ssu cess of this meeting has not come as surprise. The first sports mesting for Chinese in Shanghai was held }30 years ago and the record at the time shows that the participants }were many of them induced to take part in the adventure very much Jagainst their Inclination. As for the parents, it was asserted that they were firmly convinced that their offsprings' bodies would be ruined by violent exercise. These views seem ridiculous in the light of the en-{thusiasm which prevailed last week fat Kiangwan, not only on the track but among the thousands of spectators who watched the tests with every appearance of thoroughly understanding at least some of the finer points. The success of the meeting and the absence of serious hhitehes or friction must have been highly: gratifying to General Wu Te-chen, to whom so much credit is Jdue for the development of the Civie Centre and its magnificent Good "work has been done in cultivating sport in China by the Far Eastern Athletic Association. A tribute, too, should be paid to the pioneer labours of the Y.M.CA., which has actively encouraged sport jin China since 1908. The ¥.MC.A. sent instructors over from the United States and opened a physical training school in Shanghai in that year, jand in 1910 a National Athletic Meeting was actually or fal bel: on more modest Lines big. meeting last week. days the competitors came fron North, South, East and Central China' and 150 athletes in all competed. At the opening of the meet ing last week 50,000 spectators saw 2,270 athletes pass by in procession, coming from all parts of China and {from Chinese communities overseas.
These figures indicate the grea advance which has been made 'n 25 years, In the Far Eastern Olympic Games, China gained first place at in 1915, third at Tokyo in 1917, and second at Manila in 1919.
Shanghai in 1921 she was ugiin second. The China National [Athletic Association Federation replaced the China Amateur Athletic Union in i924 and thus became the controlling body of athletics in 'China as the result of a meeting held at Wuchang. In spite of political and other troubles, the Eighth Olympic. Meeting was' held in Shanghai in 1928 and Japanese jand Philippine athletes comered. To Tokyo in 1930 China sent jo team, but the Federation was not lable to organize another national meeting until 1931, when the Fourth iwas held in Hangchow. Meanwhile the Federation had been granted official recognition by the Govern ment and the declared purpose of that body is to control every form jot amateur sport, although for the time being its chief functions are represent China in international athletics. The National Govern ment has actively interested stselt jin the development of athletics by giving generous grants to the Federation for its expenses, and a sum of $100,000 is now required for financing China's participation in the Olympic Games to be held in Berlin next year. It is understood that the greater portion of this money will be found by the Government. The Education Ministry is specially enjoined to encourage Jathleties and on that ground Gov-jemment support is readily forth-jooming. In Shanghai Chinese sucssses have long been a feature of international sport. In 1927 Loh /Hwa joined the Football Associ for the first time and celd ted ithe event by winning the League Championship and the Senior Cup. iloter the formidable Tung Hwa Football Club came into existence [and won the Senior Leegue Cham-
Cup was won by China in 1080 and 1831. 'The Roper and Rotary Cups {for tennis have been won by China, and Chinese have held. both the Singles and doubles tennis tiles. Shanghai. On several occasions in the International' Walking Race a Chinese competitor has won.
Although ft will not be contended that the standard in Shang hal is particularly high, these achievements are noteworthy be= cause ten years ago, as is recognized in the retently published book by Mr. Tang Leong-it on "Reconstruction in China," Chin's challenges at sport were lightly rebeded, (China's athletes are drawn mainly from the student of ex-student lass, and onside the middle schools and colleges few boys find any opportunity to play games, So it will be some time before the value of athletics can be felt by the mass of people. But it is pleasant to note that a warm tribute is paid by Chinese sportsmen to the assistance received from foreign organizations. Tu paying this tribute, Mr, Tang' Leong-li observes: oreigers, to0, have _profted ly "there contaeta "in the realm vot Sport, not perhaps through an" dus crease in. skil, but. certainly. their' abluty: to understand "those whose country' they are living, Sport is a great social emotient, alls. the wheels of international Intercourse, and, if the cult' of ahletiey had done. nothing. more than te'provide a commons mating ground for ind. foreigners, would ott! have been forth white.
'Those who attended the meeting last week were particularly struck by the healthy. spirit' of rivalry Which existed between the con testants and the way in which this rivalry was refected inthe "vast audience. 'The successes of Sze chuen athletes, for example, were quickly noted and hailed by See chuen' supporters on the. sisnds, They made their presence felt with all the vigour associated with "the crowds on Western grounds. When the enormous distances from which some of these competitors. came are taken into account, it will admitted that real enthusiasm must exist, otherwise, s0 large tendance would not have been secured. Judging the actual achievements, by the—accepted standards, it should at once be said that China has yet a long way to 0 before she can really hold her own with the cream of athletes from other countries, This {s specially important in view of the forthcoming meeting at Berlin, What apparently is chiefly needed lis a greater attention to the tech-unique of the particular test involved. In this matter England had to learn a good deal from America, and it would seem that in such events as hurdling and jumping the same experience might be beneficially invited by China. However excellent an athlete may be in Physique and capacity for speed, he cannot knock off those odd seconds which make all the difference between winning and losing without practical attention to the canons of training and the tech-unique of the track or field, Lord Burghley, who physically could not be described as robust, brought himself to the first rank of University and eventually Olympic hur-diets by sheer determination and obedience to the dictates of the trainer at Fenner's, If those points are borne in mind there reason why the progress of Chinese athletes should be unduly delayed, The enthusiasm obviously is there, the organization has been put on a sound basis, and the problem of coaching should be seriously tackled in order that the finishing touch may be given to the athlete's training.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.