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2009-03-20
DOMO has been building artificial grass hockey pitches in Belgium for years
DOMO Sports Grass in Sint Niklaas, for years the Belgian market leader in artificial grass, not only produces artificial grass pitches for football, but also for hockey. In Belgium today, in contrast to football, almost all hockey clubs have an artificial grass field.
DOMO has built up a substantial reference list of hockey pitches over the last few years: Elsene, De Pinte, Brugge HC, Intermol, Royal Uccle Sport, etc, are only a few of the many projects. This year they are responsible for the construction of four new pitches. The clubs of Ronse and Hoegaarden invested in a DOMO Hockey Xtreme pitch, and the clubs of Waterloo and Victory (Edegem) chose a DOMOlypmics pitch, a water-based pitch. Royal Victory HC was even so satisfied with the quality of their first pitch in 2000 that this year they bought a second pitch.
Playing on artificial grass is the norm
In contrast to football, in or hockey the use of artificial grass is fully accepted, both for training and for competition matches. Artificial grass made its entrance to the sport of hockey in the Seventies, which made the game much faster and very popular. This developed so positively that playing on artificial grass has become the pre-eminent standard.
DOMO has obtained the highest possible accreditation for hockey pitches
The hockey federation has strict rules for playing fields and equipment. Every pitch must be approved by the FIH. There are two categories: “National Classification” for training grounds and national competitions and “Global Classification” for international matches and FIH matches.
DOMO has obtained the FIH Global Certification for its quality DOMOlympics, its water-based pitches. This is an accreditation that is only granted to hockey pitches that are suitable for international and Olympic competitions.
Different artificial grass qualities for hockey
DOMO Sports Grass produces sand filled, sand dressed, and water-based pitches for amateur hockey and international matches at the top level.
Sand filled pitches have an open structure with a lower fibre density and a deeper pile. The fibres stay upright, which ensures greater stability and is more hardwearing. They guarantee an even and predictable ball roll. These pitches are multifunctional and thus also highly suitable for schools and local authorities.
Sand dressed pitches have a structure with a higher fibre density. If they have an installed sprinkler system, they are also called semi-water-based pitches. These pitches are built on a dynamic base, have an excellent ball roll due to the higher density, are easy on the muscles and joints, and are thus highly suitable for quality technical play. The player can easily place his hockey stick under the ball as it lies on top of the grass surface and not in the sand.
Finally there are the water-based pitches or the fields without any sand infill, the pick of the crop. The DOMOlympics artificial grass is the latest product from the DOMO Sports Grass range for hockey. The DOMOlympics concept is based on a structure of high density fibrillated polyethylene yarn, with a pile depth of 13 mm in a straight tuft. This yarn gives the pitch a very pleasant and soft feel. Because the pitch is completely sprayed with a layer of water, an extremely high-quality technical play is obtained. The coherent water film ensures a perfectly even surface such that a perfect ball roll with minimal deviation is obtained with a controlled ball impact. Every movement that the player makes is sensed and interpreted by this pitch perfectly. This quality was designed together with international top hockey players.
Qualities not only suitable for hockey but also for football
An important point in the choice of a pitch is the multifunctional nature of the pitch. The DOMO Hockey Xtreme quality is a pitch that is not only suitable for hockey but also for football, which is an important criterion for many local authorities and clubs. A pitch that can be put to a dual purpose.
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