No-cash syndrome hampered hockey prospects
The no-cash syndrome that hit almost all sports disciplines in the country last year, making it difficult for the youth with the requisite potentials to rub shoulders with their counterparts and win laurels during international tournaments, is likely to put the brakes on both the national male and female hockey teams as they prepare to participate in the Hockey World Round 2 League next month.
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Early in September last year, both the national male and female hockey teams made the country proud by winning a four-nation hockey tournament staged at the Theodosia Okoh Hockey stadium in Accra.
While the females defeated neighbouring Nigeria and Kenya to win the tournament, the males had to dig deep into their reserved experience before overpowering Namibia, Kenya and Nigeria to win the trophy at stake.
As usual, the Ghana Hockey Association (GHA) had to invade the premises of some corporate bodies with cup in hand before they were able to raise a little budget to stage the tournament which became huge success by putting Ghana at her proper place so far as hockey at the international arena is concerned.
Financial hiccup
Sadly however, the same financial hiccup that hit the GHA last year during their preparation and participation in the Hockey World Round 1 League tournament in Accra, is likely to emerge again unless the association is able to raise a total of $ 1 million.
While the national female hockey team will be participating in the Round 2 tournament being hosted in Valencia in Spain, the males will be playing in Bangladesh, and qualifying from that round will qualify Ghana to the Hockey World Round 3 League.
With the gains of 2016, hockey as a sport is likely to be one of the most attractive sporting disciplines in Ghana, if the state devise is means of providing the needed financial and material support to the GHA to enable it compete at the elite level.
Support will also enable the GHA nurture and develop the potentials of the youth interested in the sport more meaningfully.
Conscious and sustainable state and corporate support of the GHA will also enable the association organise series of local and international tournaments that would provide much exposure to the players .
2017 in perspective
Throwing light on their programmes for 2017 during an interview with the Graphic Sports, the vice-president of the GHA, Mr. James Amo Gotfried, said they had consigned the challenges on 2016 to history and were looking forward to participating in the Hockey World Round 2 League tournament next month.
He said moments after they won the tournament, they applied to the Sports Ministry to support them financially and were, therefore, looking forward to receive adequate budgetary support to enhance their participation in the tournament.
“ Supporting us will enable us meet our budgetary requirement, but it is also important for Corporate Ghana to come to our aid as well in our endeavour to put Ghana into the mainstream of international hockey”, he noted .
.According to Amo Gotfried, both the Valencia and Bangladesh tournaments would be held midway in February, hence the need for them to start feverish preparations now to enable the players hit top form.
Hockey World Round 2
“ Our players made us very proud by putting aside all the financial challenges we encountered to win this major tournament. However, participating in the Hockey World Round 2 League is another huge task. Our main challenge is financial. We need to raise a total of $1 million to prepare and participate in this tournament.
“The players are prepared and resolved to make an impact and make Ghana proud. However, we need to start camping early to put them in good shape. Sadly however, all such preparations require money, which is a big challenge on our shoulders now, “ he bemoaned.
On the importance of the tournament in Spain and Bangladesh, Mr. Amo said if Ghana made it at that stage, they would qualify to participate in the World Cup,hence the need to prepare very well to enable Ghana feature at the highest level so far as hockey is concerned .
He said participating in such tournaments would also give the players more exposure and improve the rankings of Ghana.
“Competitions of this nature will help our national teams get more points and improve our rankings. It will also give them the needed exposure and make them world class players,” he explained.
While commending corporate Ghana for being their backbone and supporting them to participate in continental tournaments over the years , he said the time had come for them to help them at this stage.
Ranking
“ They had been our backbone over the years, and we hope they will again come to our aid at this stage again,” he noted.
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On what happenss should the GHA fail to raise the $1 million to enable the national hockey teams participate in the next tournament, Mr. Amo noted, “ the FIH is likely to slap a ban on us so far as international tournaments are concerned, and that will be a disaster”.
The situation, he said would also affect Ghana’s international image and ranking.
“While the women are ranked second in Africa, the males are fourth, so any ban will affect the development of the game seriously. That is why we cannot afford to avoid playing in such a prestigious tournament”, he explained.
He said hockey as a sport was the first to take Ghana into the World Cup in 1975, hence the need for stakeholders to join hands with the GHA to generate keen interest in the sport among the youth .
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“.It had some successes in the past, and I believe that with a little effort we can get there again to generate much interest among the youth. We believe hockey is catching up and has great opportunity to bring more people into the game”, he assured.
As Mr. Amo indicated, it is the expectation that the Sports Ministry will this time offer the needed budget to enable the GHA make impact at the Hockey World Round 2 League.