‘Hockey is fun’ at Benoni Northerns junior tourney
Fun and games were had at the hockey tournament.
The annual Benoni Northerns Junior Hockey (BNJH) Tournament is always a highlight on the local sporting calendar.
With well over 1 000 people attending (836 children playing, coaches and supporters) from hockey clubs around Gauteng at Benoni Northerns Sports Club on July 28, the event continues to showcase the best of junior hockey.
As always, the ethos of ‘hockey is fun’ was promoted at the tourney and fun was definitely had by the broadly smiling participants who filled up the fields at Northerns.
Shaun Taylor, chairman of BNJH as well as the president of the Eastern Gauteng Hockey Association (EGHA), said: “We are fortunate to have had beautiful weather for the tournament, which hasn’t always been the case.
“It is great to see the juniors from the u-5 to u-11 age groups playing hockey, getting out there and just having fun.
“The tournament is definitely a highlight for the club and we thoroughly enjoy putting it together.
“The children just love the tournament too and it’s always wonderful to get them playing against other clubs.
“I just hope we can get more junior hockey clubs up and running within the East Rand so that we don’t always have to travel to Joburg for tournaments.
Arranging a tournament of 1000-plus guests is no mean feat.
“It is not a one day’s episode, this takes months and months of planning, but it all comes together nicely,” added the chairman.
“I have a good crew behind me and it all works out well in the end.
“The fields are looking stunning too.
“Benoni Northerns’ main club has done a spectacular job on the fields.”
Asked about the growth of hockey, Taylor said: “The sport is growing phenomenally, especially from the ‘babies’ [the u-5s].
“There is definitely more interest in hockey and the numbers are getting there which is good for the sport.
“It bodes well for the future of Eastern Gauteng hockey going forward when we select Inter-provincial Tournament (IPT) sides and Country District sides.
“This is where we start grooming hockey players and it is incredible to see the talent that is out there.
“We have just got to nurture the talent.”
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Fun dribbles over at Northerns’ junior hockey tourney
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