PSI Gauteng aims to host tournaments from late August
BEAULIEU – Local hockey players train at home as tournaments are scheduled from August.
Pro Series Indoor (PSI) Gauteng has not seen much hockey action at Beaulieu College lately thanks to lockdown regulations, but the company has kept local hockey players in the loop and provided means for them to train at home.
According to owner of the Gauteng Gryphons franchise, and Southern Gauteng Hockey Association president, Allistar Fredericks, players have been staying active through Cross Fit training.
There are also online hockey workshops and courses as well as webinars where hockey personalities have been chatting to players and coaches about the game.
Furthermore, players cannot take their minds off of the game even for a second, with big tournaments provisionally scheduled for later in the year. These dates are subject to change if lockdown regulations require it.
The PSI Gauteng All Star Tournament is planned to be held for U13 to U18 boys and girls at different venues around the region from 1–4 October.
“This event is for all selected Gauteng Gryphon indoor squads selected at trials in September that will be participating at PSI North Nationals in December 2020, where we get to compete against various franchises – that includes Quaggas, MP Mambas, KY Heats, Pitbulls and Limpopo Leopards,” Fredericks explained.
“Our final teams for our Gauteng Gryphon A, B and C teams are selected from this event to participate at PSI North Nationals Hosted in Johannesburg.”
The trials will start on 31 August and finish on 4 September. Just before this, there will be the PSI Gauteng Pre-Season Festival on 28 and 29 August in Dainfern and at Reddam House Helderfontein.
Then comes the PSI Inter-City U11 to U16 tournament from 24 to 27 Septembmer.
Fredericks said in light of the pandemic, certain regulations will have to be implemented at these hockey events.
These regulations include but are not limited to:
- All venues for league and indoor academy will ensure they do temperature checks on parents and children and ensure hand sanitisers are placed around the venues
- All bathrooms will be sanitised regularly
- All players and parents to wear face masks
- Spectators of the teams playing will be allowed into the venue only and correct seat-spacing will be ensured. The teams that play after can only come into the venues once the other fixture is complete and those parents and players have left
- No hand shaking will be allowed before, during and after games
- Personnel at the tech table and umpires must wear face masks
- A 2m distance between people must be adhered to when buying food from the canteen
- People must cover their nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and throw the tissue away after use. If a tissue isn’t available, they should cough or sneeze into their elbow or sleeve, not their hands
- People should avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
- People should stay home if they are sick
Also read:
https://www.citizen.co.za/midrand-reporter/category/sports-news/local-sports/page/2/
