Johannesburg, South Africa: Indoor Hockey in South Africa has never been in a healthier state. Following the completion of the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup, presented by SPAR staged in Pretoria earlier this month, where the South African sides both finished in all time high positions. The performance at the World Cup sees the SPAR South Africa Women ranked 6th in the world and the South African Hockey Men, powered by Tops at SPAR, ranked 7th. The ambition to make these teams is undeniably at an all-time high.
The SPAR Indoor Hockey Interprovincial Tournament (IPT) presented by Tops at SPAR, offers the opportunity for the players to earn an international call up, while also the opportunity for teams to claim the status as the best indoor hockey province in South Africa.
The national tournament for men and women will take place from 1-4 March 2023 at the Thomas More College in Kloof, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
The honours were won by the SPAR KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Raiders in 2022 in the women’s competition while it was Western Province who sealed a third successive title in the men’s competition.
In the women’s competition SPAR KZN Raiders will be looking to defend the title and win a third in a row after they won in 2022 when they defeated Western Province in the final repeating their conquest over the Cape side in 2020 as well. Jess O’Connor, Jess Lardant and Cheree Greyvenstein will be buoyed from their World Cup outing and will look to make it a threepeat for the Coastal side.
Western Province with the likes of Kayla de Waal and Jamie Southgate and the Northern Blues featuring Tegan Fourie, her sister Cerian and Edith Molikoe alongside Laiken Brisset, offer the most likely challengers to the defending champions, while Southern Gauteng would love to repeat their 2019 title under the influence of Robyn Johnson.
In the men’s tournament it’s been three in a row for Western Province, and they will be spearheaded by the Cassiem brothers who continue to rise in value in World Hockey. Mustapha is the current recipient of the young player of the tournament at both the indoor and outdoor world Cups and will be a tough team to beat.
Their biggest challenge undoubtedly comes from the hosts KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Raiders led by inspirational Jethro Eustice along with World Cup teammates Lungani Gabela, Dan Sibbald and Keegan Hezlett. Southern Gauteng themselves would love to get a victory over the line having come narrowly close on several occasions with Steven Paulo and Dalpiarro Langford keen to move themselves up the pecking order of the Blitzstoks.
All games will be live streamed on the South African Hockey Social media pages.
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Photo1- Defending women’s champions of the SPAR Indoor Hockey Interprovincial, KZN Raiders.
Photo2- Defending men’s champions of the SPAR Indoor Hockey Interprovincial, Western Province.
Photo credits: PSL
MEDIA CONTACT:
Tyron Barnard
+27 83 454 5018
Bruce Davidson
+27 83 212 2401
This media release was sent out on behalf of the South African Hockey Association by BLD Communications.