Hockey remaining on hold for now

THA hoping restrictions can be looked at being lifted when safe to do so.

WAITING GAME: Toowoomba Hockey Association will continue to monitor restrictions on when the sport can resume. Picture: File

HOCKEY: Hopes of the Toowoomba Hockey Association season beginning at the end of the month have been dashed.

Last month the board moved to suspend activities until April 30, however the latest meeting of officials has pushed this return date back further.

THA president Eddie Schasser said that the suspension of the competition had to continue given the current circumstances.

“It’s going to be for some time from what I’ve been looking at,” Schasser said.

“The meeting was something we had set in place about a month ago and we had to have it.

“The decision was a formality, we couldn’t make any other one.

“All we can do is wait and see if there will be any relaxation of the measures put in place by the government within the next couple of weeks and see what they’re going to do.”

As the spread of coronavirus continues to reduce across Queensland, speculation has started on whether restrictions can started to be lifted in more regional areas.

The Darling Downs region has had no new cases reported since April 11, and Schasser hopes that this is taken into consideration.

“Seeing that we’ve gone more than seven days without a new case in Toowoomba,” he said.

“If that continues within Toowoomba we’re hoping that local politicians might have a voice that the relaxing of restrictions can be moreso than other areas like the metropolitan.

“That would help a bit in regards to hockey itself because I can see sport being the very last thing that restrictions will be lifted for to have a full competition.”

That remains the goal of the league, to try and play out the competition if it is possible to do so.

Schasser said that will be a challenge, but they will continue to assess the situation as it plays out.

“All we can do is look at the restrictions and play within them,” he said.

“If lifted to a point where we can have a competition, we would like to if possible.

“We’ll take it as it comes, month by month. The board has committed to having a look monthly and seeing what the restrictions are at that point in time.

“Clubs have been right behind us and agreed with everything we’ve done so far.

“There’ll be a teleconference meeting on Wednesday with Hockey Queensland with all associations.

“This will give us a feel of what some of the other associations are doing and thinking of doing with their competitions, and is a way to keep in contact with Hockey Queensland.”

At the time of the league suspension, the Iron Jack Challenge and A1 women’s competition were in their early stages.

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