Poligras Tokyo GT in Andrea Gatti Stadium in Bondeno
Hockey dream in blue and neon green
The small town of Bondeno is not far from Ferrara. Hockey has been extremely popular here for many years, and youth teams in particular have been successful nationwide. Bondeno Hockey Club dates back to 1963, when a veterinarian, Adriano Bonini, campaigned for this sport in the region. He founded the club with four fellow campaigners and they were able to quickly influence many young people with their passion and get them interested in field hockey.
Today, Bondeno Hockey Club trains at Andrea Gatti Stadium in Bihac sports centre, named after the athlete and trainer of the same name, who passed away far too early in 1994. A milestone in the development was the equipping of the hockey field with a modern synthetic turf in 1999. 20 years later, the system was in need of urgent renovation. It was essential for the small town to be able to continue to maintain its national significance in field hockey and inspire young talents.
For high level training, the old synthetic turf was to be replaced with a special, highly functional hockey turf. The decision was made to use Poligras Tokyo GT, as it is a system that not only boasts outstanding playing properties, but also has impressive ecological credentials. Tokyo GT is a Polytan development with filaments, which for the first time consist of more than 60% renewable raw materials. At the same time, the uniform multidirectional surface is permanently stable, allowing for dynamic and precise play.
Polytan hockey turf is also an excellent long-term choice, because it is proven to be particularly robust. Daily use and weather influences have only a minimal effect. Thanks to the Polytan CoolPlus function, the field does not heat up too much on hot summer days. The bright blue playing field with its neon green border is also a real eye-catcher.
Approx. 250,000 euros were invested in the conversion of the Bihac sports centre, which, in addition to the hockey field, also has an athletics track and two tennis courts. The Italian hockey association bears part of the costs, for example for underground irrigation. In October 2019, the new pitch was opened by the President of the Italian Hockey Federation, Sergio Mignardi. In the future, the city would also like to host international hockey events. With the renovated Andrea Gatti stadium, the club not only has a professional facility for this purpose, but also a turf that is outstanding from an ecological perspective – a sustainable hockey dream in blue and neon green.
