The cream of the South African Mens Hockey crop have all headed down to KwaZulu Natal for a week of intense hockey action at the 2023 SA Hockey IPT. The tournament offers the players an opportunity to put up their hands for possible inclusion in the African Hockey Road to Paris qualifier tournament later this year as well as FIH Nations Cup and the Paris Olympic Games.
Western Province will be looking for the threepeat. A victory would also see the Cape side hold onto double IPT title having won the Indoor tournament earlier this year. National men’s captain Dayaan Cassiem is joined by international colleagues Jacque van Tonder, Sam Mvimbi, Keenan Horne, Matt de Sousa, Ryan Julius and Connor Beauchamp amongst others in a star studded line up.
2022 runners up KZN Raiders would love to win the title they last won in 2018. Their squad sees the return of Mo Mea and Clinton Panther. The Guise-Brown brothers will offer defensive stability and counter attacking threat while Dan Sibbald and Jethro Eustice will lead the team in the middle of the park. Gowan Jones will also be looking to secure his spot in the national team, so expect a big performance from the shot stopper.
SA U21 finished in the bronze medal in 2022 and with a Sultan of Johor and FIH Junior World Cup still to play in 2023 they will be fired up as ever to ruffle a few feathers. Mustapha Cassiem will lead from the front for his team having already starred on the international stage. Cameron le Forestier adds a massive goal scoring threat while James Flint is a penalty corner weapon.
Southern Gauteng under the tutelage of Colin Fielding will be a competitive force once again. Dalpiarro Langford has stood up to a more senior role superbly and alongside him will see the likes of Chad Futcher, Brynn Cleak, Nic Spooner, Rusten Abrahams and Dan Bell all look to propel the sleeping giant to the top of the podium again.
WP Peninsula won their way back into the A Section replacing Wits and it’s the Northern Blues, Eastern Province and Free State who complete the numbers in the premier section of the tournament.
The Mens B Section sees Border, KZN Robins, SACD and SG Witsies contest Pool A, while Pool B will see KZN Mynahs, Mpumalanga, North West and Northern Cape contest for favourable positions ahead of the Quarter Finals.
SA Hockey Mens IPT – Fixtures – 21 August 2023
SA Hockey Men’s IPT – Recent Winners
2017 – KZN Raiders
2018 – KZN Raiders
2019 – Western Province
2022 – Western Province
