Parkside Hockey Club will proceed undeterred with plans to host the 2025 KC March Easter Tournament, despite the rampant vandalism and destruction of Buffalo Flats and Bunkers Hill astro turfs.
Held next week, from April 18-20, the historic tournament will feature 32 teams from across the country, which is estimated to bring in close to R500,000 into the city’s coffers.
Last year, Parkside Hockey had contemplated forfeiting the opportunity to host the prestigious tournament given the state of the city’s astros, however plans have been made to spread the event out between Border Hockey Astro (formerly known as Bunkers Hill), Selborne College and Clarendon Girls High School.
Since 2020, every scrap of valuable infrastructure has been stolen from Buffalo Flats astro turf including pieces of the turf itself and the palisade fencing. Border Hockey astro has been hit with a slew of break-ins and storm damage to the floodlights that put an end to hockey for a while between 2023-2024 and cost Border Hockey their partnership with sponsor Buco.
Recently, practice lights have been added to Border Hockey Astro and the municipality has committed to removing the flood light poles but Border Hockey Association (BHA) said a lot more will need to be done including an upgrade of both astro turfs. Currently, Border Hockey astro is being maintained out of the revenue that BHA is able to generate from club fees however with financial insecurity looming, this will not be sustainable.
This comes especially after last year when the SA Hockey Association (SAHA) suspended BHA for non-payment of 2023 membership fees, which clubs are now responsible for paying directly.
BHA has created an investor group that seeks to bring in expertise and funding as a way to establish private-public partnerships for development in skills and infrastructure.
Border Hockey Association president and Parkside Hockey Club chair, Renato Abrahams said forfeiting the KC March Easter Tournament would have meant huge financial loss to Parkside Hockey Club and the city and would have robbed local players of the opportunity to gain competitive experience ahead of the interprovincial tournament.
Abrahams added: “Parkside Hockey Club is proud to celebrate 40 years of passion, dedication and outstanding achievement in the world of hockey. To mark this incredible milestone we are inviting everyone to be a part of the KC March Hockey Festival.
“This event will showcase the best teams across the country. This is not just a hockey event, it’s a celebration of community, sport and a love for the game.
“The club is working to ensure a smooth and safe event for all participants and our decision to proceed with the festival came from the support of our two local schools, SAHA and volunteers. BCMM has also committed to providing grass cutting and bush clearing in preparation for the event.
“All the East London clubs have a good chance of lifting the silverware, the most promising being the Parkside Premier Ladies team. We are excited to see all teams being winners of great hockey.”
SAHA’s Gary Dolley celebrates Parkside Hockey’s decision to proceed with the festival and decries the dysfunctionality at municipal level which is compromising the future of hockey in Buffalo City.
SAHA is loath to bring big national tournaments to East London because the facilities are unsafe to the point of serious risk to players and spectators. School hockey continues to thrive because schools build and manage their own facilities but once players leave the school system there is a dearth of club opportunities for them given the decimation of the facilities. Schools are also better able to capitalise on revenue from big tournaments because their facilities are in order.
Dolley said: “It is not the competency of clubs, Border and SAHA to take responsibility of sports facilities because that is the role of the municipality, who need to have money set aside and invested annually for maintenance, upgrades and security at sports facilities because the city can reap huge benefits from sports tourism.
“Ward councilors are allocated ward based funding every year that could also be directed to sports facilities but ward councilors are also failing to work with local sporting federations. Border needs to put pressure on the municipality to apply for the municipal infrastructure grant and have that funding diverted to the astros.
“Alternatively, lease agreements need to be considered which could give a club custodianship over a facility and any money generated from that facility would go into a trust such as at KC March astro turf in Gelvendale, Gqeberha.”
