adminDalphine Tagwireyi Sports Reporter
SUNRISE Sports Club in Harare will on Saturday stage the Hockey Association of Zimbabwe inter-provincial indoor hockey tournament.
The tournament will see both men and women’s provincial teams battle it out for honours and the provincial competitions are used to identify players for duty on the national teams in international events.
Harare Hockey Board secretary Mandla Mataure said that four provinces have confirmed participation representing men and only two provinces will have female teams for the tournament.
“We have only received confirmation from four provinces and the registration deadline was on Friday hence the national team will then be selected from the participating provinces,’’ he outlined.
Mataure said it is quite disconcerting for provinces not to partake in the first national event on the HAZ calendar but owing to logistical challenges it is understandable.
“Non-participating provinces could be facing monetary challenges as most hockey clubs are self-funded, hence we will have to make-do with confirmed participants,” he said.
“The venue is ready and the organising committee is now in place and we look forward to a successful event.”
Mataure added that the venue is ready and the tournament will see the selection of a men’s and a women’s team to represent Zimbabwe in international tournaments.
“It’s all systems go and we look forward to an exciting day, if the number of provinces would have been more than four, the tournament would have been held over two days but since we have few participants, it means everything will be concluded then,” he added.
Participating provinces for the men’s teams are Harare, Masvingo, Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland West and women’s teams have been drawn from Masvingo and Harare.
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