A second Hoofdklasse match has been postponed due to coronavirus in Holland.
Following the postponement of the the Amsterdam-HGC women’s match last weekend, the Den Bosch-HGC clash in the men’s competition has also been affected.
The opening day call off in the women’s league led Robert Tigges, into his second season as Amsterdam coach, to admit that there could be more curtailments after three players were infected.
He told hockey.nl: “In the hockey world there are fears for more corona infections. Players are not preventively tested for the virus, because the financial means are lacking according to the hockey association.
“Our protocols at the club have saved us. It could have been a lot worse. The infected trio had dinner in a restaurant last week. Chances are it started there. The three other players have been tested negative, but are in quarantine because they have had close contact.”
Roelant Oltmans, the new coach of Kampong men, has also stated his fears with no pre-match tests.
The Dutchman said: “I had just returned from Malaysia where the measures are very strict. If I see that there are regular positive tests in other sports, you can wait for the virus to emerge somewhere in the hockey league soon. And what should be done then? We don’t live in a bubble. Then you can better prevent it by testing beforehand.”
A third head coach, Robert van der Horst of Oranje-Rood, has said: “We are simply not an NBA sport that can live in a bubble.
“Incidentally, the players of the Dutch national team are tested. Apparently the status of the clubs is not high enough for the hockey association.”
