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Indoor hockey returned to Barbados with a bang this weekend with the Corbins Car Rental and McEnearney Barbados Indoor Hockey Classic.
The jam-packed, 46-game, all-day, three-day tournament has so far been going exceptionally well, Technical Director, Monica Cumberbatch, told the Barbados Advocate.

While crowds have not been massive, Cumberbatch says the players are excited to be playing an indoor tournament and already want more. They may get their wish. Tournament Organiser, Dominic Hill, says he wants the tournament to become a regular fixture on the local hockey calendar. He wants next year to be even bigger, he says, with invitations going out to teams from Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Jamaica and New York. This year one T&T team made the trip.

Before this tournament, indoor hockey had not been played in Barbados for about 20 years, Hill said. This was unacceptable, especially as Barbados is regarded as one of the regions top hockey nations, he said.

The importance of indoor hockey, says Hill, is that it builds the basics  by banning hitting, it encourages pushing, passing, stopping and dribbling. The field and goal bars are much smaller so precision is key. And with five players per side, not the usual 11, the games break-neck pace means players have to be fit.

For these reasons, says Hill, the indoor game is especially important for developing junior players, who need to develop the basics.

Clubs already commonly practice indoors before the May outdoor season, and players say they like the tournament for just that reason.

Hill says the game is not just good for the players, but is exciting to watch as well, as it is shorter, faster and higher-scoring than the outdoor form.

The tournament continues tonight with 12 games, including the Mens and Womens Finals, and wraps up with a presentation ceremony.t

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