Sport Durham, in partnership with the Town of Ajax and Field Hockey Ontario, yesterday announced the annual U18 May Meltdown tournament is scheduled to come to the Monarch Fields at Ajax Community Centre from May 28 to 30, 2021.
The event is tentatively scheduled due to sport tourism impacts as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The event hopes to welcome up to 400 athletes and their families—boosting the local economy through visitor spending on accommodations, restaurants and more, said a regional statement.
Teams from across Ontario will be competing on Monarch Fields’ high-performance artificial turf in Ajax. Amongst the competitors are some of the province’s top players, including Ajax’s own Nicole Poulakis, a member of Field Hockey Canada’s Next Gen program, and other rising stars. In addition to watching the best of Ontario compete head-to-head, fans can expect ‘try it’ sessions and a skills competition, it said.
The strategic partnership between the Town of Ajax, Sport Durham and Field Hockey Ontario will help to reignite sport tourism in Ajax and Durham as the region works towards Covid-19 recovery. The event is designed to grow local interest and participation in field hockey and benefit the local economy.
Sport Durham is The Regional Municipality of Durham’s sport tourism program. Sport Durham has established itself as a successful sport event host through collaboration with local partners. Past events include the Ontario Parasport Games, Ontario Basketball U15 Girls Ontario Cup, Quidditch Canada Eastern Regional Championships, and Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships.
“We’re excited to welcome Field Hockey Ontario’s annual U18 May Meltdown to Durham Region in 2021. The event will drive tourism back to Durham Region in what we can only hope is a post-pandemic environment. Not only will the event help to grow interest and participation in field hockey, but it will also benefit the local economy through visitor spending on accommodations, restaurants, shopping, and exploring all of the other amazing things Durham has to offer,” said John Henry, Regional Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Region of Durham.
“The artificial turf of Monarch Fields are part of the legacy of Ajax successfully hosting the 2015 Pan Am Games baseball and softball competitions. This strategic investment in recreation amenities has given Ajax a competitive advantage in our readiness to host tournaments like the U18 May Meltdown, supporting Council’s tourism and partnership goals for the 2018-2022 term. On behalf of Ajax Council, I want to extend a warm welcome to Field Hockey Ontario players, families and fans,” added Mayor Shaun Collier, Town of Ajax.
Quick Facts
- Durham Region is home to a variety of services and accommodations in support of memorable, accessible sport event experiences. With venues suitable for hometown teams or major international events, Durham’s award-winning edge is its location advantage. To learn more about sport tourism in Durham Region, visit SportDurham.ca.
- As part of the legacy of hosting the 2015 Pan Am Games in Durham Region, the Monarch Fields were built to host the baseball and softball competitions in Ajax. The two 64 metres (70 yards) wide and 100 metres (109 yards) long fields are full-sized FIFA 1 Star certified fields. Hosting events like the U18 May Meltdown directly supports actions outlined in the Town of Ajax Strategic Plan, to partner with tourism and sport organizations to support major conferences and sporting events. Learn more about tourism in Ajax at ajax.ca/visit.
- Field Hockey Ontario is a not-for-profit, mostly volunteer run organization. It is the provincial sport organization that leads, grows, and promotes field hockey and indoor hockey in Ontario. To learn more, visit FieldHockeyOntario.com.