The ten Goulburn District Hockey Association players who were named in the Canberra Chill's men's and women's squads will have their preparations delayed by nearly a month due to the latest COVID-19 outbreaks across the country, but particularly in the ACT and NSW.
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The trainings squads, which were released earlier this month, featured a combination of current and former GDHA names on their lists, two of whom are train-on players.
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In a statement released today, Hockey One officials announced that the 2021 season would not get underway until at least October 29, nearly a full month later than the original start date.
"As with all sporting and entertainment events, the effects of the ongoing pandemic have impacted our plans for the highly anticipated second season," Hockey One League General Manager, Tony Dodemaide, said.
"Disappointingly, it is clear to all teams and stakeholders that a start date of October 1 with expectation of an uninterrupted national competition, including freedom of interstate travel and attended events, is no longer realistic in the current environment.
"Together with clubs, we are determined to deliver the second season of the league and are currently exploring all options to do so."
With a statewide lockdown in place in NSW until at least 12.01am on Sunday, August 22, and the ACT in lockdown until September 2, training for the players has become all but impossible.
The Chill squads, which featured 26 names each to begin with, were supposed to be whittled down over the course of the next two months, until the final 20-person teams were named prior to the beginning of the tournament.
The lockdowns have put a stop to this process, but Dodemaide hopes they will give the state governments time to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
"This rescheduling enables more time for the national and state government initiatives of virus suppression and vaccination roll-out to take effect. We will continue to monitor circumstances and adjust our plans accordingly," he said.
Hockey One has promised to provide further details about the delay as soon as they are available. Those who have purchased team memberships and tickets to games in advance will be contacted with details about the available options.
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