Siphelele Nketo
THE Kokstad Men’s Hockey Club recently travelled to Pietermaritzburg to compete in the KZN Quadrangular Hockey Tournament. Making their debut appearance at the tournament, the club participated in the B Section competition.
On Friday, the club played against Southern Men, but it took some time for the Kokstad Men’s Hockey Club to settle into the match.
However, they took control of the game and secured an impressive 3–0 victory.
The next day was a demanding day for the Kokstad Men’s Hockey Club with three fixtures on the schedule. The first game kicked off at 7am against Northern Men where the team once again produced an outstanding performance to claim another convincing 3–0 win.
The highlight of the tournament followed a clash against Mavericks, in a match that was a decider for the 2026 KZN Quadrangular B Section championship.
Mavericks entered the game on seven points, with Kokstad closely behind with six points.
The encounter was intense and fast-paced from start to finish, said club treasurer Brenden Marnce.
“Kokstad struck first when Jesse Lubbe scored a superb deflected goal from an assist by Layton Gilden. In the closing moments, Mavericks were awarded a penalty stroke, and the thrilling contest ended in a hard-fought 1–1 draw,” he explained.
The Kokstad Men’s Hockey Club played a final match against Inland Men as Marnce explained that the objective was simply to win the match and bring the trophy home.
“The boys rose to the occasion in spectacular fashion. Audley Bok opened the scoring with a brilliant deflected goal assisted by Kendrico Hermans, before Jaycee added a superb solo effort to seal the result. Kokstad claimed a 2–0 victory and were crowned the 2026 KZN Quadrangular B Section Champions,” he added.
Layton Gilden was named the team’s MVP for his exceptional performances throughout the tournament. Marnce extended a sincere gratitude to all sponsors for their continued support and belief in the team.
He also thanked Kerwin De Kock, Howard Pyoos, Mr Mulla, Mr Abrahams, Mr Junaid Jamal, Dr Bokwe and Rolyats Spar for their support. Marnce said that the club looks forward to competing in the upcoming matches.
