GHA launch Chairman's Invitational Challenge Tournament

Accra, Nov 11, GNA - The Ghana Hockey Association (GHA) on Wednesday launched a special tournament, the "The Chairman's Invitational Tournament".

The tournament, which commences on Saturday, November 14 and ends early December, is the first to be organized by the Association after hosting the Africa Hockey Cup for Nations.


The tournament will be in a league format, with the two top clubs at the end of the league going into a final game to determine the overall winner..


The GH¢10,000 post-Nations Cup event is under the sponsorship of the chairman of the Association, Oko Nikoi Djani.


Launching the Tournament, Nikoi Djani said the event was part of efforts to promote the game in the country and sustain the momentum that came with the hosting of the last Africa Hockey Cup of Nations earlier this year.


He said the tournament would be an annual event, though the 2009 edition was a serving as a replacement for the national hockey league.

Nikoi Djani said the Invitational Challenge Tournament would run alongside the national league next year.


He said the event, which would be in two categories - male and seniors - would see the winners going home with trophies and cash prizes.


Nikoi Djani said the Association would at the end of the event give awards - Discovery of the Tournament, Promising Player, Top Scorer and th= e Most Disciplined Player - adding that these awards would come with cash prizes.


He, however, expressed worry over the absence of female teams in the competition though they performed creditably in the Nations cup.


He announced that plans were in place to revive hockey in second cyc= le schools and the National Hockey Pitch would be used as the venue.