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Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 August 2011 18:44 Written by Administrator Monday, 22 August 2011 20:20

HOCKEY ASSOCIATION OF ZIMBABWE

 

INTRODUCTION

The Hockey Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) was established in 1925 and is responsible for the administration of hockey, at all levels, within the country.

 

HISTORY

Hockey took root in Zimbabwe in 1900, on a dusty piece of African veldt, in the City of Bulawayo. The first games were played between “The Home Born” settlers and the “Colonial Born” settlers – the results are recorded in posterity. The game was further boosted by British Soldiers following the Anglo Boer war in 1902. From this very colonial start, the sport has grown to one of considerable stature in Zimbabwe. Today it truly is a Zimbabwean sport, boasting players from all across the country, from every race, tribe and gender.

 

The first clubs were established in 1903, whilst the first interprovincial tournament was played in 1906 in Bulawayo. Ladies hockey was first played in 1906, also in Bulawayo. The first team to visit the country was that of “Cape Town Gardens” who played in Salisbury (now Harare) and then Bulawayo. In 1925 the first international was played, when the “All England” women’s team played the colony in Bulawayo. The Empire women’s tournament was hosted in 1930 in Salisbury, with teams from England, Scotland, Australia, and Rhodesia playing – the first international hockey tournament in the country.

 

The Rhodesia Hockey Association, the first national hockey administration, was established in 1925, and was affiliated to the South African Hockey Association.

 

The association affiliated to the Federation International de Hockey (FIH) in 1961, with the first official test match played in Bulawayo on 9^th August, 1961 against Kenya. Whilst the home team won that encounter, the visitors drew the series with a win in Salisbury a few days later.  Men’s teams participated in the Tokyo 1964 Olympics and qualified forthe 1968 Mexico Olympics, they could not actually participate.

 

In 1980 the association took on the new name Hockey Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ), and within a month of being readmitted to the FIH was invited to participate in the Moscow Olympics. It was here, in the first ever Olympics to include women’s hockey, that the Zimbabwe Women’s Team won the nations first Olympic Gold Medal.

 

In 1994 the Government of Zimbabwe, in preparation for the 6^th Africa Games, being hosted in Harare and Bulawayo, constructed the world class Magamba and Khumalo Hockey Stadium’s. Crowds in excess of 6,000 watched the men’s final in Harare, whilst over 11,000 spectators cheered the home team in the ladies final in Bulawayo, where the Silver medal was collected. At the same time the two separate men’s and women’s associations merged to form a new Hockey Association of Zimbabwe in 1995.

 

ADMINISTRATION

The Headquarters of the HAZ are located at the Magamba Hockey Stadium, Harare. A regional office is located at the Khumalo Hockey Stadium, Bulawayo. A full time Administrator is employed by the HAZ, and an additional administrator works from the Bulawayo office.

 

Whilst there are eight sports provinces in Zimbabwe, the HAZ presently has five provinces affiliated. These provincial boards manage hockey at the local level, and are as follows –

Name                                                   City                 Provinces

Manicaland Hockey Board                 Mutare             (Manicaland province)

Mashonaland Hockey Board              Harare             (Mash West, Central and East provinces)

Masvingo Hockey Board                    Masvingo        (Masvingo province)

Matabeleland Hockey Board              Bulawayo        (Mat North and South provinces)

Midlands Hockey Board                    Gweru             (Midland province)

 

The Zimbabwe Schoolboys and the Zimbabwe Schoolgirls Hockey Associations are also affiliated to the HAZ.

 

EXECUTIVE

President                     Farai “Kays” Kanyangara

Vice President             Virginia “Ginny” Ross

Secretary                     Sarah Bennet

Treasurer                     Gavin Stephens

Members                     William Birkett

Jackie “Jooks” Lowe

Tongai Mukwewa

 

 

Office                          Hockey Association of Zimbabwe

PO Box CY 253

Causeway

Harare

Zimbabwe

 

Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Regional Office          Khumalo Hockey Stadium

Townsend Road

Suburbs

Bulawayo

Zimbabwe

 

 

COMMITTEES

The HAZ has five committees -

Technical Committee              Responsible for umpires, judges and medical officers, as well as all technical matters.

Chairman

Competitions                           Manages the National Hockey League, the HAZ Cup and prepares the national calendar, and five-year programme.

Chairman

Coaching and Development   This committee comprises two essential elements; (a) management and development of the national coaches, supervision of high performance coaching and arranging international coaching opportunities, and (b) development, probably the most active branch of the game in Zimbabwe at present.

Chairman Mr W Birkett

Marketing                                manages the marketing and fund raising of the HAZ, national teams and events. The HAZ has a marketing agreement with Indicom Pvt Ltd, a sports promotional company.

Chairman  - vacant

 

AFFILIATION

The HAZ is affiliated to the

Federation International de Hockey

Africa Hockey Federation

Zimbabwe Olympic Committee

Zimbabwe Sports and Recreation Commission

 

EVENTS

2011

April – Aug     National Hockey League                                Harare and Bulawayo

22 - 25 May     Interprovincial Tournament                            Bulawayo

7 –10 August  HAZ Cup                                                        Harare

28-29 August  Southern Africa TriNations (Men)                  Bulawayo

28-29 August  Southern Africa TriNations (Women)            Bulawayo

2-10 Sept         Africa Olympic Qualifier (Men)                     Bulawayo

13-18 Sept       Africa Olympic Qualifier (Women)                Bulawayo

30 Sept            Annual HAZ Awards Dinner

 

2005    April – Aug     National Hockey League                                Harare and Bulawayo

22 - 25 May     Interprovincial Tournament                            Bulawayo

7 –10 August  Interprovincial Tournament                            Harare

28-29 August  HAZ Cup                                                        Harare

 

 

 

DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES

Coke Cola Young Winners, Harare

 

Cheredzi Development, Cheridzi

 

Mini Hockey, Bulawayo

 

National Development Programme, FIH sponsored

 

U/12 and U/14 Leagues, Bulawayo and Mutare

 

Teacher Training Courses, Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Mutare, Masvingo

 

School Holiday Camps, Bulawayo and Harare

 

SPONSORS

 

HAZ                            -

 

National League          -

 

HAZ Cup                    National Merchant Bank

 

National Men

U/21    The Label

 

National Women

U/21

 

 

AWARDS 2003

 

The HAZ Awards for 2003 went to the following winners -

Men’s Award              Women’s Award         Single Award

Sportsman of the Year            R King                        J Lowe

Jnr Sportsman                         J Flynn                        J Palmer

Official of the year                                                                                         P van Zyl

Administrator / Service                                                                                   D Barkhausen

Team of the Year                                                                                            BAC Men

Presidents Award                                                                                           C Stewart

 

HAZARD

The official Newsletter of the HAZ

Copy follows

 

NATIONAL COMPETITIONS

 

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

The HAZ administers a National Hockey League for the top men’s and women’s clubs in the country. The league is played on a home and away basis, and all matches are played on artificial pitches, in either Harare or Bulawayo. The national League Sponsor for 2000 and 2001 is SALTRAMA, a division of Bertgold Investments, Harare.

 

The results of the National League for 2003 are –

Men     BAC    (tenth consecutive win)                       Women            OH

OH                                                                                          BAC

QSC                                                                                        ERAD

Eradicators                                                                              QSC

Hippo Valley

Alex

 

THE HAZ CUP

The HAZ Cup Tournament is a club knockout event. In principle all club teams are eligible and capable of reaching the finals. The tournament starts at Provincial level, then proceeds to Regional level, and thereafter the winner and runner-up of each of the two regions, play in the finals.

 

The results of the 2001 Finals of the HAZ Cup were as follows-

Men     BAC    (Fifth consecutive win)                       Women            BAC

Hippo Valley                                                                                       QSC

QSC

 

 

INTER-PROVINCIALS

There are two Senior Inter-provincials played each year, hosted respectively by the Matabeleland and Mashonaland Hockey Boards on behalf of the HAZ.

 

IPT’S are also played at U/21, U/18, U/16, U/14 and U/12 levels. The later two are played at a regional level, whilst the first three are played at a full national level. Participation in the IPT’s is essential for selection purposes.