Bathurst Hockey Association president Kent Bestwick is aiming to resume 2021 seasons when able

Like other Bathurst and Central West sporting associations, the Bathurst Hockey Association has temporarily suspended its competitions due to the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant lockdown orders.

And Bestwick stresses that a suspension is what he wants it to be. To the BHA president, the word 'abandon' is not part of the equation at this point.

"We are not going abandon it like Sydney have, Sydney men and women have abandoned the season," Bestwick said.

"I don't want use that word abandon, I don't want to abandon it, I think if we finish it then that will be the best thing for us. As far as I'm concerned abandoned is not a word we are going to use, it's not even in our thought process ... I'd prefer to use the word suspended.

"We've got to look at it and whether it means going five or six weeks past our end due date, we've got the rest of the year to play it."

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The BHA made a call last Friday night that, due to the large proportion of members impacted by the Dubbo COVID-19 stay at home orders, the men's, women's and junior girls competitions would not proceed that weekend.

Then on Saturday afternoon came the lockdown of regional New South Wales for one week, meaning BHA competitions were impacted further.

It is a very new scenario for the vastly experienced Bestwick. While the 2020 Bathurst seasons were delayed and shortened due to COVID, they were still able to go ahead.

"I haven't been in any games that have been called off due to anything really in my 45 years of hockey," Bestwick said.

"We've had games delayed due to weather - like due to lightning - but I've never been in a game that's been postponed or called off.

"This situation is a first for everyone."

As for any likely resumption of play, Bestwick says it will depend on advice from the New South Wales Department of Health and naturally the length of the regional NSW lockdown.

"It will just be as per New South Wales Health, we are waiting on what they have to say," he said.

"I think we see this as a mini-break ... unless NSW Health says that's it, no community sport, we'll try to get it going again."

Bestwick said if play does resume, what the draws look like will depend on the decisions made by the junior girls, women's and men's sub-committees.

However, he expects to see measures in place similar to last season with no spectators permitted and players required to leave the complex on the completion of their games to make things as safe as possible for members.

"The sub-committees have their meetings coming up next week and they'll come back to us and our game plan will go from there. We supply the facilities and the committees run it," he said.

"I'd say that would probably be the way we go to finish the season, it would be no spectators, in and out."

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