Meli Laddpeter 
With just one artificial hockey turf in the country, hosting tournaments throughout the year remains a costly challenge for the sport.
The Marist Eastgate Memorial Hockey Tournament got underway yesterday at the National Hockey Centre in Suva, with 18 teams competing.
Tournament coordinator Paul Fraser says the lack of proper playing turfs continues to be one of the biggest challenges facing hockey in Fiji.
However, through the support of their sponsors, families and other clubs, they have been able to host the third edition of the tournament.
He says that competing on an artificial surface compared to a grass surface makes a huge difference in performance.
“It’s just really expensive to hosts tournaments like this. We can play on the grass turf but it just affects the performance and quality of play.”
The three day tournament concludes tomorrow.
