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Poligras Tokyo GT is the name of the new synthetic turf system for hockey that has been developed by Polytan as the official Global Supplier to the FIH for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Not only is the dark-blue playing field „faster than ever before“, but the turf fibres also consist predominantly of a bio-based synthetic from Braskem. The world’s first installation of the Poligras Tokyo GT was for the Crefelder HTC. The new turf was installed at the Gerd Wellen hockey facility in Krefeld in September 2018.
Poligras Tokyo GT, which has been developed by Polytan with a view to the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan, was the system of choice for the new pitch. „Poligras Tokyo GT is currently the best hockey turf in the world and we are delighted to be the first ever venue where it has been installed“, says Club manager Robert Haake about the new synthetic turf. Two more pitches with a Poligras Tokyo GT system are planned and completed in Mönchengladbach and China respectively. When Poligras Tokyo GT was installed in 2018, the shock-absorbing base had finally worn out after 28 years and it was replaced with a 35 mm thick PolyBase GT elastic layer. PolyBase GT stands out for its high level of environmental compatibility – as does the Poligras Tokyo GT synthetic turf system. This is denoted by the code GT, which stands for the new GT Green Technology label.
According to Polytan the Poligras Tokyo GT turf achieves a better environmental balance by using the bio-based plastic I’m green by Braskem. Renewable raw materials make up 60 percent of the polyethylene (PE) base material for the filaments. It is possible to increase this proportion to 100 per cent PE base material, but at a higher cost. As was shown during testing, not only does the new material improve the ecobalance of the synthetic turf, it also optimises the playing qualities of the surface: the ball roll distance increases by up to 25 percent compared with the predecessor product.
The PolyBase GT elastic layer is the most recent arrival in the Green Technology product family of Polytan. The product PolyBase GT „owes its sustainability to a newly developed binder for the permanently elastic bonding of granules whose manufacture produces lower CO2 emissions“.
Quite apart from the ecological aspects and improved playing qualities, the blue colour of the new Poligras Tokyo GT synthetic hockey pitch in Krefeld is also conspicuous. The blue playing surface has been all but standard practice at top-flight hockey competitions since the 2012 Olympic Games in London. It sharpens the contrast with the yellow hockey ball and makes it easier to follow the progress of play. This benefits players, spectators and, above all, television viewers. Crefelder HTC has even designed a playing field that exceeds the required dimensions of 100 x 60 yards (91.4 x 55 m) for the purposes of television coverage, which means LED perimeter systems can also be set up for television broadcasts. (Stadiaworld, 19.02.2019)
Website: Polytan
