Indoor Hockey World Cup a catalyst for growth
“Indoor hockey has the ability to excite any sports fan and to get them sitting on the edge of their seats!"
Hockey SA believes hosting the Indoor Hockey World Cup, presented by SPAR, in February will be a catalyst for the continued growth of the sport in the country.
In an exciting development, the tournament will take place outside of Europe for the first time. The cream of the world’s players will gather at the Heartfelt Arena in Pretoria from February 5 to 11 to duel for the men’s and women’s titles.
The local organising committee, under chairman Simon Martin, are doing all it can to ensure a memorable occasion for both players and spectators.
“It will be a unique experience for everyone involved, from the organisers to the players to the spectators,” Martin said.
“I am hoping this tournament will inspire the next generation of indoor hockey players to dream big and realise that these dreams are attainable.
“I am also hoping it will ignite a spark among the general sports community and put indoor hockey on the map.”
Martin said this fast-paced version of the game had blossomed in the last 15 years and an event of this nature could accelerate that journey of growth.
“We see the popularity of the sport in the passion and talent that comes out of junior hockey tournaments like PSi,” he added.
“We want to instil a sense of pride and professionalism among the youth to take up the ranks to senior tournaments and the rest of their hockey career.
“Hosting an event like this demands a more professional approach to the sport and can only take indoor hockey from strength to strength.”
Tickets start at R150 each for children under 18 and R250 for adults. It can be accessed at https://itickets.co.za/ihwc. Each ticket entitles the ticket holder to a full day of action of 12 games.
The men’s and women’s competitions will each be contested by 12 teams, divided into two pools.
The teams will play one pool match each day from February 5 to 9. Thereafter, the top four sides in each pool advance to the quarterfinals, while the fifth and sixth-place teams will face off for positions nine to 12.
The pools consist of:
Women
• Pool A: Netherlands, Austria, Australia, United States, South Africa, New Zealand.
• Pool B: Ukraine, Czech Republic, Namibia, Kazakhstan, Belgium, Canada.
Men
• Pool A: Austria, Netherlands, Belgium, Kazakhstan, Namibia, New Zealand.
• Pool B: Iran, Czech Republic, Australia, South Africa, United States, Argentina.
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