Inaugural hockey festival a huge success
“We hope to inspire more schools and learners to get involved in hockey at school and club level."
The Benoni Northerns Hockey Club (BNHC) chairperson, Kyle Cameron, expects the Youth Day Invitational Festival, held on June 16, to have a positive impact on the future of the sport in Ekurhuleni.
Cameron said the tournament provided young players with a platform to showcase their talent and passion for hockey.
“We hope to inspire more schools and learners to get involved in hockey at school and club level. We are also hoping for increased interest and participation from schools in the greater Ekurhuleni region in the coming years,” he said.
While the inaugural tournament attracted more than 20 teams from several schools in the region, Cameron said they aim to expand the reach of the festival to more schools.
They also aim to collaborate with local organisations and authorities to promote the sport at grassroots level to ensure more youngsters have access and opportunities to grow.
“The festival serves as an opportunity to build stronger connections and networks among schools, coaches and players. This collaboration and camaraderie will contribute to the overall growth and development of hockey within Ekurhuleni.”
It was an exciting day on the field as the players braved the chilly conditions and went hammer and tongs, contesting for every ball while the fans, who surrounded the Benoni Northerns Sports Club and Benoni High School Astros, watched on with interest.
Laerskool Kruinsig from Kempton Park were crowned the boys’ U13 champions while Farrarmere Primary School walked away with the U11 boys’ title.
Laerskool Rynfield dominated the girls’ category after winning both the U11 and 13 titles.
“We were really amazed at the number of people who showed up. It was better than we expected. It shows how many people in the region are getting into hockey.”
Cameron said there needs to be a strong focus on such youth festivals to ensure the sport grows and that there’s continuity as the players get older.
“Hockey is slowly becoming a year-round sport, with different offerings of outdoor, indoor, fives and summer leagues. As a club we are trying to ensure we offer these to our young and older players,” said Cameron.
Upcoming BNHC competitions
The BNHC are halfway through their senior and junior outdoor leagues season, which will conclude in early to mid-August.
Afterwards, the men’s and women’s senior teams will host the BNHC One Cup from August 18 to 20 and have invited clubs from within Gauteng.
“It will be the battle of the different clubs’ best men and ladies’ teams. So far, two clubs from Pretoria and one from Johannesburg have shown interest in the tournament. We expect it to be amazing.”
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