With a major year of Olympic qualification ahead of them, the eight teams competing at the Hawkes Bay Festival of Hockey in New Zealand are all seeking the opportunity to try new strategies, integrate new players and assess the opposition, ahead of the all-important Hockey World League Semi-Finals in June.
And it has been an intriguing set of pool matches as the Asian contingent of China, Japan and India have all sent out strong defensive sides and sought to break down the more attacking styles of the other five teams. The two outstanding results of the pool matches have been New Zealand’s 3-2 victory over Argentina - a result that delighted the home fans; and the sight of a staunch India defence holding the world’s number two team Australia to a 0-0 scoreline.
In the quarter-finals, taking place on Thursday, Asian rivals China and Japan will face each other for the first time since the Asian Games where China won silver and Japan finished fourth; world number three side Argentina take on Australia in a re-run of the 2014 Champions Trophy final; home side New Zealand will play India and the USA will face Korea – the only team to have booked its place at Rio 2016.
At the Hawkes Bay Festival of Hockey, it is not just about international hockey, although the chance to see 64 matches of top class action is a huge draw in its own right. Hockey fans visiting the fantastic facility will also be able to see the stars of the future take to the field in the competitive local secondary school invitational hockey tournament.
Meanwhile, over at Park Island, Hockey New Zealand’s Affiliates Tournament will feature men’s and women’s representative sides from Australian Country, New Zealand Maori, New Zealand Indians, New Zealand Masters, New Zealand Senior XI and Hawkes Bay representative sides.
While the eight nations tournament will give an idea of the form of the top teams as they prepare for the Hockey World League Semi-Finals, the Hawkes Bay Festival is also a fantastic showcase for the enduring and wide appeal of our sport.
