THE Marist Hockey Eastgate Memorial Tourney, sponsored by Temo Consulting, got underway at the National Hockey Centre in Suva yesterday.
A total of 14 teams, made up of 10 men’s teams and four women’s teams are participating in the three-day tournament.
The president of the Marist Hockey Club, Paul Fraser said the tournament, still running after nearly 30 years, returned after a lapse of three years.
The hiatus was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the renovation of the National Hockey Centre.
Fraser also mentioned the addition of two new teams to the competition, indicative of what he says is the tournament’s yearly atmosphere of bringing out the best.
“It’s very hard for anyone to host this tournament, host any tournament because of the expenses and well this year, we got two extra teams, that’s why we started a bit early,” Fraser said.
“We’ve got two extra teams and well, every year this tournament brings out the best in everybody.”
He added the tournament was always a highly-anticipated annual fixture and the interest shown from various teams such as those from overseas for instance, were indicative of it.
“This is a tournament everybody anticipates to take part in and we get spectators, we get visitors from overseas that come and take part as well,” he said.
The tournament is sponsored by Temo Consulting, a company of professional engineers providing engineering consultancy and project management services.
He thanked the consultancy firm for their support in backing the tournament, particularly in helping pay for the use of the hockey centre this year and last year.
The competition continues today and will end tomorrow.
Men’s teams: Pool 1 – Marist White, Ventures, Stingers II, Mates, Levuka. Pool 2 – Stingers I, Naidrodro, Mavericks, Marist Lautoka, Stingers Nadi.
Women’s teams: Pool A – Marist, Ventures, Stingers, Vixens.
Harry Ah Tong (second from left) and Vilikesa Ketedromo of Stingers join their goalkeeper in defending their goal against Ventures, at the National Hockey Centre in Suva yesterday. Picture: ELIKI NUKUTABU
