Locals excited to launch a new league
FOURWAYS – The newly formed Johannesburg Hockey League aims to boost young players and coaches throughout the province with skills and high-performance development.
A new hockey league which aims to produce the best young school players in and around Gauteng was officially launched on 3 July.
The Johannesburg Hockey League (JHL) is open to boys and girls in the age groups of U14, U16 and U18. The league and coaches have already began recruiting in the province.
While there are a number of star-studded players and coaches in South African hockey set to participate in the league, there are a few community favourites involved with the new league as well.
Tebogo Mopeye, the teacher in charge of boys hockey at Fourways High School as well as coaches Jesse Salo and Reza Rosenberg of the Beaulieu Hockey Academy, are the standout Fourways community members who will be taking on coaching and managing roles in the league.
Sharmin Naidoo, head of cricket and hockey at Wits University, founded the league together with former South African hockey player Lance Louw and former first-class cricketer Ziyaad Desai. Naidoo described the league as a chance for young players to make their mark in ‘creating a top class hockey competition that, in turn, will develop a high performance pipeline and recruitment pathway for players and coaches’.
“Real time high performance through competitive matches will develop our future stars as they will play against the very best, and will be coached against the very best,” he said.
There are six teams in the league which are Jozi Warriors, Mzanzi Hawks, Northside Griffins, Eastside Mavericks, Central Samurai and Sporting Supermen.Allistar Fredericks, Southern Gauteng Hockey Association (SGHA) president and owner of the Northside Griffins expressed his excitement about the league.
“The league provides another platform where junior hockey players from all walks of life in Gauteng can become a part of a high performance franchised competition, pitting best junior players against each other,” said Fredericks.
He added that the league was endorsed by SGHA and all income from this league would go towards the financial assistance of provincial players selected to represent Southern Gauteng at various national indoor and outdoor tournaments.
Due to Covid-19 regulations in place in the country, the aim is to have matches start near the end of 2020. Naidoo said once matches have the green light to take place, they would be hosted at different hockey venues in Johannesburg.”This six franchise league has attracted all the top quality players, coaches and officials from Southerns, Northerns, Easterns, and possibly North West and Mpumalanga.”
Osaka is also the official teamwear of the league. This league is sure to be a top quality event. We want the JHL to be exciting and entertaining for all stakeholders, and we hope to grow the game and take it to new levels,” concluded Naidoo.
