Hockey SA believes the hosting of the Indoor Hockey World Cup, presented by SPAR, in February next year 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, with the cream of the world’s players gathering 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 they 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 truly are attainable.
“I am also hoping that it will ignite a spark among the general sports community and really 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 which
they can take up the ranks to senior tournaments and the rest of their hockey
career.
“Hosting an event like this truly demands a more professional approach to the sport and can only take indoor hockey from strength to strength.”
With SPAR throwing its weight behind the World Cup, Martin said they had leapt at the opportunity to bid for the event after Belgium were not able to host it for Covid-19 reasons.
“We feel that South Africa has the resources, fans and talent to host an event that will be remembered for years to come,” he said.
“I’m excited for not only South Africans to get a taste of such a prestigious tournament, but also to showcase what South Africa can do in terms of hosting such events to the rest of the world.
“After Belgium withdrew, there was a scramble to find another host country. We put in a bid among a few other countries and on July 12 this year we were told that our bid was successful.”
Martin said they were delighted to host the tournament at the Heartfelt Arena, which had excellent facilities to deliver a top-class event.
“It is one of the best arenas to host the Indoor World Cup in South Africa,” he explained.
“The space the hall offers allows us to use our creativity to transform it into an incredible arena that will showcase our sport in the most epic way.
“We plan to use the facility to create an event that encompasses not only action-packed hockey, but also offers spectators a retail and entertainment experience.
“We are looking at having live music, food vendors and sport merchandise stalls to give spectators variety while at the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup, presented by SPAR.
“I invite all South African sport fans to come to experience this world-class event
that will showcase the best of the best battling it out for the title of world
champions.
“Indoor hockey has the ability to excite any sports fan and to get them sitting on the edge of their seats! The game promises goals, flair and end-to-end action which makes for a very entertaining 50 minutes.”
Tickets start at R150 each for children under 18 (R250 for adults) and can be accessed by going to https://itickets.co.za/ihwc. Each ticket entitles the ticketholder to a full day of action which sees 12 games being played.
You can follow SA Hockey on social media to stay up to date with all the latest news and the build-up to the tournament.
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 are:
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
Ends
MEDIA CONTACT:
Tyron Barnard
+27 83 454 5018
Bruce Davidson
+27 83 212 2401
This media release was sent out on behalf of FIH Hockey Indoor World Cup by BLD Communications.