Festival fare returns to city with top-class KC March tournament

Top-class hockey action kicks off in style on Thursday evening as the annual KC March Easter Festival hosted by United Hockey Club gets under way in the city. The very popular tournament sees some of the top hockey clubs from around the country taking part, with teams in this year’s festival hailimg from Johannesburg, Kimberley, Durban, PE and East London. Each year the festival is held in a different city, so this is the first time it is back in EL since 2015, with last year’s event being co-hosted by Beaulieu Hockey Academy and In Touch Hockey in Johannesburg. Beaulieu are the defending champs and will definitely be one of the teams to watch along with Nelson Mandela University (NMU from PE and a number of the local sides, particularly the Parkside women's team. “The Beaulieu defending Champs are the favourites in the men’s A section but NMU should be contenders with Lakeside Cavaliers (also PE),” said United's head of the local organising committee Calvin Brown. “None of the other teams can be written off as the start of the year is unpredictable, Inanda Kwamashu from KZN are taking part in their first festival and could be dark horses. “In the ladies A section the favourites are Parkside and Beaulieu with Beaulieu the defending Champs. “In the B section Beaulieu made it a clean sweep for the first time in the festival’s history and are favourites for both.” In all 17 club sides will be taking part in the festival, with an A and B section in both the men’s and women’s divisions. United as hosts will be keen to make their mark, while other local sides will be keen to impress on home soil. The out-of-town teams will be especially keen to do well, with many having travelled from afar to take part. “We are looking forward to tough, competitive hockey but hope that the spirit of KC March shines through,” admitted Brown. “In his immortal words: Play hard, win well, lose graciously so that in the end it can be said that hockey was the winner.” The action will get under way with a few games on Thursday night and will conclude on Sunday with the finals. The games will be played at Buco Park Bunkers Hill, Buffalo Flats Astro and at a third venue still to be decided.