Monday, November 11, 2024

‘Time for reflection’: Hockey reacts after Commonwealth Games exclusion

Kate Richardson-Walsh, the former England captain, said hockey being omitted from the Commonwealth Games was “a reflection on maybe where we are as a sport” while competing nations also reacted with disappointment on Tuesday.

Hockey was axed as one of several high-profile sports for the streamlined 2026 Games in Glasgow, with the likes of badminton, rugby sevens and newbie cricket also axed. It was a decision, said England Hockey, that overlooks a sport with a proud history and strong presence across Commonwealth nations. 

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15 COMMENTS

  1. Unfortunately, hockey is a sport in decline. There aren’t enough people being enthused to take up and progress in the sport. The implementation of the talent centre has shrunk both the numbers of those being coached and the enthusiasm of kids to even apply when they see that the only way into it is to be in a team coached by the talent centre coaches or to be one of their favoured coach contacts (which coincidentally mostly deliver extremely expensive 121 coaching sessions to the wealthier children). Hockey has ‘made its bed’ and is about to reap its rewards. I am in contact with a lot of the hockey family around the country and understand this ethos goes way beyond Exeter. It’s such a shame and things can only get worse.

    • cannot agree more with everything written here.

      How the sport still gets sports england funding when state schools continue to walk away from it i have no idea

  2. I feel it is more simple – the cost per medal is just too high when you consider the number of players, teams, support and coaching staff and the effort of housing them for the games.

    • The indoor format makes for better TV, costs less to host and reduces the ‘players per medal’ ratio. Would love to see it introduced. It could also create a resurgence in the sport as it is immune to the tough winter conditions that plague outdoor winter games.

  3. How is that any different to player thinking they need to be at a county hosting club and be coached by County coaches..

    TA is not the issue, the issue is schools cutting back on their sports programs to save money. Hockey is an expensive sport for a school to host either needing build and maintain or hire an astro which cost a lot of money. Bear in mind most state primary schools have zero sports funding at all at the moment.

    • If we look at other sports that are thriving football, netball and cricket. They have growing engagement because schools are promoting it (cricket is not cheaper than hockey) but more importantly local clubs are pushing engagement and local leagues prioritise participation as a starting point. Hockey doesn’t

      • The issue which I see, Juan, is that the school situation doesn’t change but the TA system did in that it shrunk. TAs state that it’s up to the clubs to coach the kids and there will always be a chance for them. The reality is that the clubs know that the places only go to to those favoured and not those who have genuine potential and could really benefit from the extra coaching. There is an obvious knock on effect in that clubs are not bothering to hide their lack of enthusiasm for what is commonly viewed as a closed shop. This affects the potential talent coming through. And that affects the whole sport.

      • Cricket does have more money to spend on the issue. But honestly the rubbish I have seen on this forum about TA is amazing. True talent will come through whether at a state school or elsewhere, whether at a club or TA. There are Open nominations etc. There are huge numbers in TA programmes but the level of technical ability is weak in some areas and stronger in others.

  4. I’ve just completed a questionnaire for England Hockey on the future of hockey but would be surprised if they are interested in my views.
    Hockey’s decline is a direct consequence of EH’s obsession with the elite end of the sport to the detriment of the “grass roots”. In addition the failure of clubs to fund their own facilities (as happens in Holland) means that they are largely reliant on renting facilities from schools who are under huge financial pressure and increasingly in receipt of attractive offers from football to put down 3G pitches. As far as I am aware only 2 clubs in the whole of the West Country own their facilities! Perhaps EH could help clubs to build their own facilities?

  5. Richardson-Walsh said: “We are playing world wide and perhaps across the Commonwealth there are lots of countries that don’t play hockey.” Is this for real? I can only think of England, Wales, Scotland, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan. How many do you need? Come on, support the game not give an excuse not to that is not even correct.

  6. I attended an England Hockey webinar on Volunteering last night and Charlie Farron of England Hockey said that juniors playing football and rugby are declining whilst Hockey is still increasing. This statement is reflected in my local park where over 13 games of football were played every Saturday 10 years ago. Only one or two are now played! Our local Rugby Club used to have 5 teams every Saturday but can barely field 2 now!
    I think some of the statements are too gloomy and the causes of any decline is multi-factorial. It is hard but Hockey is certainly thriving here in Sutton Coldfield.

  7. The CGF have affirmed to the FIH that this is a one off situation owing to the circumstances namely they had to be picked up and funded at short notice.

    The bigger question is ‘do the Games have a future?’_

    My guess is no. I cannot see the attraction of essentially a ‘family’ event to the big sponsors and without them who is to pay for it?

    Frankly with the World Cup I believe a couple of weeks later , I don’t care.

    The important question is the next funding round from Sport England. England Hockeys plan to grow participation off the back of high profile success does not seem to have have born much fruit.

    So cut back on that funding and divert it to the grass roots , specifically to clubs to enable them to bid for funding to liaise with local schools and offer them far more opportunity to participate in our sport, the longer term objective to ‘remove’ hockey from most schools and mirror the clubs on the continent .

  8. Lots of cost per medal associated with hockey. But not including the most popular Commonwealth Games sport in the Commonealth’s biggest country is quite a call.

  9. Another sad day for Hockey. Bottom line the senior management at EH must accept that they have failed to take the game to another level, in 2016 the girls winning gold gave EH a huge opportunity to take the game to another level but unfortunately EH failed. Netball has won the Commonwealth games, Women’s Hockey have won Olympic Gold and Bronze, European Gold and Commonwealth Gold plus numerous silver medals but Netball have been chosen over hockey, one would ask why, maybe Nick Pink , CEO of EH would like to provide a detailed answer?

  10. Genuinely shocked and actually surprised by the negativity being written and spoken of in here. Is it the Com Games that’s in decline or field hockey? As a stakeholder in the game here in India, we’ve just launched the Hockey India League where the per team investment for season 1 is 20-25mil USD. With back to back Olympic Medals the sport is in better health than ever! In terms of viewership, with a potential India vs Pakistan match-up on the cards, the numbers could have been off the charts for hockey during the Games. Speaking as a member of the hockey fraternity here in the subcontinent, we believe the axing of Cricket, Badminton, Wrestling, Shooting etc., is more a reflection of the extent of decline of the Com Games which seem to be limping from one four year cycle to the next and not the sport of hockey. Just another perspective from the other side of the Commonwealth.

    Interestingly, the sports that have been chopped accounted for half of India’s medal tally at Birmingham. Makes us wonder here in India, what is going on?

    Thanks,
    Sid Pandey.
    Mumbai, India.

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