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Allen Khumalo, Sports Reporter
HIPPO Valley and the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) emerged winners in the men’s and women’s 2016 Southern Region Hockey tournament that ended on Sunday at Kumalo Hockey Stadium in Bulawayo.
Hippo Valley beat Rams 2-1 in the final, while UZ beat BAC Ladies 6-5 in a penalty shootout after their match ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
Matabeleland Hockey Board (MHB) president Kalpesh Parshotam said the tournament was a success considering that it was the first of its kind.
“The tournament went very well and it was well supported by teams from around Zimbabwe. We look forward to making this an annual competition, as this was a first of its kind and fans must expect more competitive tournaments in future,” said Parshotam.
The three-day tournament saw nine teams, Hippo Valley, Rams, BAC, UZ, Eradicators, Lions, Bulawayo Hockey Club (BHC), Midlands State University (MSU) and Khanimambo, battling for honours in the men’s category.
The teams were split into two pools in a round robin format. Hippo Valley and Rams were victors in their respective pools, which saw them qualifying for the final. In the ladies category, BAC, Hippo Valley, UZ and MSU battled for the crown.
The winner played against the fourth-placed side and the runner-up took on the third-placed team in the semi-final, with the respective winners facing off in the final.
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