Local hockey champions Rabat Depiro have been entrusted, for the second consecutive time, with the hosting of the European Club Challenge II by the European Hockey Federation.
This will be held at the National Hockey Centre in Kordin between Thursday and Sunday. This year’s tournament will host the teams from five European countries, namely Rabat Depiro (Malta), Aker (Norway), Kecioren Belediye (Turkey), Trikotex HC (Serbia & Montenegro) and SC Partille (Sweden).
On Thursday, the tournament gets underway with the first two matches. At 3pm, Trikotex HC take on Norwegian Champions Aker and at 5.30pm, Kecioren Belediye take on the Partille SC. Local Champions Rabat Depiro will not be active on the first day of the tournament and they will take on Kecioren Belediye on Friday at 10.30am and Aker at 5.30pm.
Live entertainment hosted by DJ Joe Tanti as well as various activities for children are being organised on Saturday starting at 1.30pm, prior to the match in which Maltese champions Rabat Depiro take on SC Partille of Sweden. Everybody is being encouraged to attend and support the local heros. At 4.30pm, Aker play Kecioren Belediye.
Teams get off to an early start on Sunday, the final day of the tournament, when at 9.30am, Trikotex take on Kecioren Belediye, followed by Aker v Partille at 1.30pm. The final match of the tournament sees Maltese champions, Rabat Depiro closing off the action in a match against Trikotex starting at 4pm.
The Presentation Ceremony will take place on Sunday at 6pm.
The European Club Challenge is the official competition of the European Hockey Federation for those clubs winning the championships of their respective countries. The competition is organised with teams split into four divisions and the champions of the national competitions battle it out as to which team is to be promoted or relegated from one division to another. The team that finishes at the bottom of the table in one particular year, will relegate its country to a lower division, and hence the champion of that country will then play in that lower division in the following year.
Last year’s tournament was won by HT-85 from Finland and this year the Finnish Champions will be playing in a higher division in a tournament that will be held in Zagreb, Croatia. With the exception of a 1-1 draw against the Norwegeans (Aker) they won all their matches of the tournament.
Local champions Rabat Depiro finished in second place, just one point below HT-85, while Aker finished third. Kecioren Belediye lost all their matches and finished at the bottom of the table. The tournament of last year had also the participation of another guest team from Malta – Young Stars HC – however their matches were unofficial and did not have any bearing on the final standings. With effect from this year the European Hockey Federation has decided that guest teams in similar tournaments will no longer be allowed.
Aker (Norway) and Kecioren Belediye (Turkey) who also participated in last year’s tournament, had been crowned champions in their respective countries and are once again participating in this tournament.
Match schedule
Thursday 12 May
3pm Trikotex-Aker; 5.30pm Kecioren Belediye-Partille
Friday 13 May
10.30am Kecioren Belediye-Rabat Depiro; 3pm Trikotex-Partille; 5.30pm Rabat Depiro-Aker
Saturday 14 May
2.30pm Partille-Rabat Depiro; 4.30pm Aker-Kecioren Belediye
Sunday 15 May
9.30am Trikotex-Kecioren Belediye; 1.30pm Aker-Partille; 4pm Rabat Depiro-Trikotex; 6pm Presentation Ceremony.