The Port Moresby XV Games in Papua New Guinea are underway with the Hockey 5s event completing the first two days of round robin matches to see who will play who in the final stages.
The matches are taking place on the St John Guise outdoor pitch which is a new water pitch and at the test event turning the water on for the first time caused great excitement for media and spectators as they had not seen one like it before.
Hockey has returned to the Pacific Games after a 12-year absence, previously featuring in Suva 1979 (men’s tournament), again in Suva 2003 and Apia 2007 which were women’s tournaments. In Port Moresby, men and women are taking part together and for the first time, the format is hockey 5s. Five teams are contesting the men’s event and four in the women’s.
The three previous Pacific Games hockey gold medals were won by Fiji, and they have made an excellent start with both the men and women winning their round robin games to date.
FIH President Leandro Negre was in Port Moresby to watch the start of the round robin matches and said “I am very pleased to be here at the Pacific Games. The turf is fantastic and I delighted that two new countries Tonga and Solomon Islands have joined the hockey family in the region.”
Click here for the Pacific Games website.
(Photo – Oceania Hockey Federation and Fox Sports Pulse)
