The Southern Cape Wanderers Masters Hockey Club hosted the 32nd tournament at the long weekend.
The three most senior players at the tournament, who amongst them have attended 87 tournaments, did an objective assessment and declared that this event ranks in the top 3 of all time. Local hockey supporters flocked to the fields and were impressed by the total offering of the event.
York High School was lauded for the magnificent facilities which included 7 superbly prepared grass fields, and the magnificent Myra Gregory Astro turf hockey field. The visitors were astounded that a government school possessed such outstanding facilities.
Carpe Diem provided their hockey field and will benefit from the upgraded playing surface.
There were no serious injuries and this has much to do with the quality of the playing surfaces. Had the sinking of the borehole not been successful, the tournament might have needed to have been called off due to the water restrictions.
The visitors experienced all four seasons within the four days and the welcome rain stayed away until the last hours of the tournament.
A total of 63 provincial ladies’ and men’s hockey teams, including Zimbabwe and Namibia, played 158 hockey matches in age-related groups from 35 years up to 60 plus. Each team played 5 matches over the two days of the festival.
Although fierce rivalries, as the traditional North versus South prevails, there is no overall winner. The only award is the Team Spirit award which was held by the home team, Southern Cape Wanderers, and was now awarded to the Free State Colts.
The Southern Cape ladies’ team was unbeaten in their 5 matches and the men’s team lost one match.
A third local team, the younger Southern Cape Masters men’s, still did well in their very competitive pool to win two matches.
Because the Civic Centre was too small to hold the 1 011 players at the evening functions, a giant marquee was hired and erected at the York High sports fields. Having all social and sporting activities at a single hockey venue was a first for a tournament and played a big role in the ultimate success of this one.
Not only did the committee have to overcome the challenge of finding 1 000 hotel beds in George (5 000 bed nights were filled), but decent evening entertainment had to be put on.
The Cape Town band Tall Order filled Friday night’s slot and Ballyhoo did it on Sunday. Both kept the 200m² dance floor fully occupied.
Huge economic boost
The organisers expressed their appreciation to the residents of George South who so readily and uncomplainingly put up with the noise during the weekend. They probably realised that this is a one in 20 year event with an economic boost into George unsurpassed by any single amateur sports event.
Castle Lager was the main sponsor and their professional setting up of the relaxation area was a key factor to the success of the tournament. The local businesses which did the daytime food vending were superb and kept even the fussiest people happy.
The organisers are particularly proud of two aspects which would not normally be associated with such an event. There was no profit motive in organising the tournament and the full budgeted cost was covered by player levies, business sponsorships, advertising and pledges by the George Municipality.
The committee then confidently decided that the local service clubs could run the bar facility for the benefit of their charitable funds.
The quantum of this profit is not yet known, but is expected to be significant.
The second point of pride is the generous response from all players to bring a toy to the tournament for distribution by Rotary’s York Interact Club amongst the needy children of the area.
More that 1 000 toys were collected. This was the first time the ‘toy dump’ was done and it will hopefully become a feature at future Masters’ tournaments.
International events possible
There was keen competition from other Southern Cape towns to host this tour-
nament, but George got it on the promise of being the sports Mecca of the Southern Cape and the ‘City for all reasons’.
George can stand proud knowing that this successful hosting gives it a foot in the door to hold other prestigious hockey tournaments, particularly once the soon to be erected floodlights are in place at the Astro.
The chairman of SA Masters is of the opinion that international hockey test matches could readily be held at the facility.
There are many players for whom this was their introduction to the Southern Cape and who are bound to return here with their families for future holidays.
The organisers, made up of current and past hockey players from George, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, said that although organising a tournament of this magnitude was demanding, the support of the Southern Cape business community and municipalities and the satisfaction of the good it does for the community, should encourage other sporting codes to be brave and stretch themselves when the opportunity to host national events arise.
Photos: iCandy Images
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After the match between traditional rivals from Western Province and Southern Gauteng the shots and misses of the game are celebrated in true sportsmanship spirit.
