A lot of things are going wrong in international hockey these days. Argentina sees two major players taking a break from international hockey because of bad management in their federation. Dutch hoofdklasse clubs sound the alarm towards their own national federation, who seems not willing to change the competition format of the renowned Dutch “hoofdklasse” to adapt to a changing international environment. Hockey Australia is so desperate to make hockey a more “attractive” sport they are willing to sacrifice their major competition (AHL) and reduce it to a joke with rules a 6 year old would not even consider because too far fetched. Hockey England still has not understood it is perfectly doable (and even the best choice) to have your national team players also play full seasons with their club team… And to top it of ,we seem to have a president of the FIH – that’s the international federation of hockey for those who forgot – who has lost all interest in international hockey. Almost invisible to the hockey family – outside of India that is – since a year or so. A crucial year, marking the change of major international events, with almost half of the FIH staff, managing our game of hockey, who left the FIH prematurely… with allegations from within the FIH of corruption mismanagement regarding TV contracts for the newest event, the HPL. To the outside world it seems dr. Batra, the FIH president, is fully focussed on politics in India instead of international hockey…
So I started writing drafts of an open letter to the FIH and other critical opinion pieces… Because I love the game of hockey. I think it’s the most beautiful and exciting sport there is… and it pains me to see it mismanaged. But then I deleted them all before posting. I made a choice to stop whining and complaining about what I think is going wrong at the moment. Life’s too short… and I would rather focus again on the beautiful game of hockey I will get to enjoy in the days, weeks and months to come.
I am very lucky to be able to enjoy some of the best European club hockey on a weekly basis most of the year and this Friday I will enjoy the amazing EHL once more at less than an hours drive from home. The KO16 starts this Friday in Rotterdam and on the agenda are some great hockey games with on day 1 for example the debut of Herakles from Belgium versus the Catalan club Atlètic Terrassa. Both are special clubs with a strong family culture and more home grown talent in their team than usual. But day 1 also brings the clash between Kampong, former EHL champion and the German powerhouse Rot Weiss Köln. Saturday I’ll be back to enjoy games between Rotterdam, playing in front of their home crowd in that magnificent stadium against the reigning German champions Mannheimer. Followed by a certain Bloemendaal vs Dragons, top teams with some of the loudest supporters. And it doesn’t stop there… more top hockey between the winners of the earlier games to decide who will make the Final 4 later this year for a shot at the EHL crown. Enough to make this hockey fan get his hockey fix… If you can make it to Rotterdam, you will not regret this I’m sure! Alternatively you can enjoy all of this either on the TV for some countries and on the live stream from the EHL website for others.
When this EHL KO16 & KO8 are over, we return to the exciting phase of the end of several European club competitions, that last stretch towards a national title or also the Commonwealth Games for those with British roots. Just a couple weeks later the EHL will crown a new (?) champion once more and in June we’ll enjoy the last Champions Trophy ever with some of the world’s strongest teams… plus two invites from Asia ;)
Spectacular hockey ahead… All leading up to a World Cup to be played later this year in incredible India.
So instead of worrying about the future of hockey, I will have fun watching the great games on the calendar these next days, weeks and months! We’ll see afterwards if we still have a sport worthy of the name when the people administrating the sport get their act together… Meanwhile, let’s enjoy some hockey !
As commendable as your efforts are to not whinge about hockey, the sport could cease to exist as we know it unless FIH are held accountable by the hockey media. Right now, the hockey community deserves that the governing body be held accountable, to be questioned and crtitiqued, and to ensure that they continually are pressed to be transparent in the conduct of the independent investigation that is alleged to activated. Let’s be honest, does any of their recent conduct deserve praise?
Hockey is still non the wiser re the alleged investigation into the president and his conduct from the 2017 WLSF in London. Is the sport again headed for the same cloud to hang over this current predicament it now faces?
FIH seem to think they can, as they are continually allowed to, get away by refusing to comment. Perhaps, in a time of crisis, an example from the Australian cricket CEO can be taken and greater process clarity be communicated. Rather than hiding behind a limited response by refusing to comment.
Hockey has to wake up and ask itself why so many directors involved in the pro league have left before it was realised. To recognise that hockey was a functioning sustainable business prior to the big tv contracts. To ask why the alleged threat of bankruptcy exists. Sure, let’s enjoy the EHL. But let’s take the lead and be responsible for the accountability of the international body so that the sport can continue to be enjoyed.
Hey Anders,
Let me both disappoint and reassure you… I doubt I will ever really stop whinging about hockey ;) That was more an attempt of being cynical about it. I did throw away my draft letter to dr. Batra & co and I did decide for at least these next few days/weeks to focus somewhat more on the beauty of our game of hockey while enjoying the EHL.
Though I do not consider myself a real journalist, just a fan with some insights and experience, blogging his opinion, I do hope the real media will continue/start to hold those in office accountable. Not an easy job in these times with facts being considered less interesting than “alternative facts” often…
Anyway today our invisible president of the FIH came forward with an interesting new CEO for his organisation to say the least. Thierry Weil has got a lot of experience in securing major sponsorship deals in the world of sports as the marketing director for the FIFA in the “Blatter era”. We can only hope he learned from the mistakes made by his previous boss to help avoid further issues for his new boss.
I personally do like the idea behind the HPL and hope they can make it happen. But I also do hope they do not discard the rich heritage of our sport when tweaking our sport to the modern era and respect the history and customs of the sport in all regions of the world… So that the sport can continue to be enjoyed indeed.