New organisation World Beach Hockey aims to have 100 nations playing the version by the end of 2026.
World Beach Hockey is submitting to compete in the next World Beach Games in 2027 and has plans to run both a Junior World Cup and Adult World cup in the future.
Greg Mill, president of World Beach Hockey, attended the 2014 World Cup in the Hague where the first Beach Hockey Festival was also being played.
Mill took the concept back to Australia and in October 2023 the FIH approved World Beach Hockey as an organisation.
“Field hockey is a technical sport, not easy to pick up for first timers,” he told iSportConnect.
“Beach Hockey is a safe and fun version of hockey that is easy to play for those who have not held a stick before.
“Statistics over four years have shown that a high percentage of first time players who tried beach hockey then transferred across to playing eleven a side and indoor hockey so was a great compliment to bringing new players to hockey.
