Ballacottier and Arbory shared the honours in the finals of the Medis Schools Hockey tournament at the NSC. Ten primary school teams made it to the finals on March 30 after qualifying rounds were held across the Island. The finals started with two groups of five and the top two in each group went into the semi-finals. In the final Ballacottier scored first but an equaliser for Arbory made the match all square and the score remained at 1-1 after golden goal extra-time so the teams shared the trophy. The Medis tournament is run in collaboration with Manx Sports and Recreation’s (MSR) Sports Development Unit. Medis provided funding for new hockey equipment to allow teachers to set up after school hockey clubs for pupils and coaches from hockey clubs have been helping school teams develop their skills. Stuart Colligon, Managing Director of Medis, said: “This is the second year we have sponsored a schools hockey tournament and we have again been delighted to see how much enthusiasm the event has generated. We would like to thank everyone at Manx Sport and Recreation’s Sports Development Unit for organising such a great tournament and we extend our gratitude to all of the school staff, pupils and hockey club coaches who have helped to make the event such a success.” A total of 42 teams from 26 primary schools took part in this year’s tournament with five qualifying competitions being held across the Island. Ballacottier and Arbory both finished top of their groups in the finals with Willaston and St Thomas’s the losing semi-finalists. Other schools represented in the finals were Scoill Ree Gorree, St Mary’s, Jurby, St John’s, Marown, and Ballasalla Kerry Penswick, Hockey Development Officer at Manx Sport and Recreation, said this year’s tournament had built on the success of the inaugural Medis-sponsored tournament in 2010. She said: “We’re grateful to everyone who has supported this year’s event. We used smaller goals this year and lighter hockey balls designed for children to use and this new equipment proved to be popular with the teams. The Medis tournament is a great way to introduce children to the sport of hockey and we hope their participation will lead to a long-term interest in the sport.” Another new addition to this year’s tournament was the introduction of a fairplay award for good sportsmanship. Ballasalla school won this prize and were presented with medals to mark their achievement. Medis, which has offices on Circular Road, Douglas, is the Island’s largest pharmaceutical company and part of the Actavis Group. From its Isle of Man base Medis serves customers in the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Canada, South Africa, and Australia. - ENDS -