Hockey cancellations

Press, 27 July 1989, Page 12

Hockey cancellations

Sir,—How disappointed South Canterbury men’s hockey players and supporters were last week-end when the Canterbury Hockey Association decided not to send its senior, under-15 and Hatch Cup teams to Leslie Park, as arranged. It is hardly surprising that hockey is on the decline in the province when cancellations such as this are made at the last minute. Canterbury was to have hosted the under-15 tournament and that has been cancelled twice! Surely, under-15 gand Hatch Cup grades should be encouraged at all costs, as here are the players of the future. If boys of this , age are continually let down through no fault of their own they get discouraged and give up the sport altogether. Let us promote hockey in this province, not demote it. — Yours, etc.,

T. S. KITTO Timaru, July 17, 1989.

[The chairman of the Canterbury Hockey Association, Mr J. W. Bowden, replies: “The under--15 South Island tournament was cancelled because, on both weekends the games were scheduled, bad weather caused the closing of all grass fields by the Christchurch City Council. The Canterbury Hockey Association cannot use fields when they are closed by the council; also, the artificial turf was fully booked and unavailable for the tournament. The Canterbury under-15 team and its selector-coach were unable to travel to Timaru on Sunday, July 16, as it was not on the official representative programme and other arrangements had been made by the team members.”]