Hockey coach fears for clubs
Hockey Association of Malawi (Ham) is concerned that domestic clubs might struggle at the forthcoming Africa Club Championship in Zimbabwe due to the recent cancellation of an Indoor Hockey League in Blantyre.
With two weeks into the new season, the league was cancelled a fortnight ago after Ham severed its ties with its partners, College of Medicine Sports Complex, following disagreements on amended rules surrounding the association’s use of the facility.
Ham re-introduced the outdoor hockey league last weekend at Kamuzu Stadium, but Ham national development coordinator, Geoffrey Biya, feared for the clubs’ performance during the continental event this December.
“The indoor league helps
the players to develop better skills because the games are fast. It is a much difficult game to play and it needs high levels of fitness,” he said.
“When the players get accustomed to the quick style of play, they easily succeed in outdoor hockey because the game is slower. We are afraid that we have lost out on the opportunity to help our players develop better skills so that they could succeed in international competitions. Our players will struggle this year.”
After the introduction of the indoor hockey two years ago, Genetrix won an invitational competition in Zambia.
This year’s men’s and ladies’ champions will represent Malawi in Zimbabwe. Genetrix A and Braves A lead the current league’s men’s and ladies’ divisions respectively with one round of games left to wrap up the season.
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