SA Men’s Hockey Team (Gallo)
The absence of a title sponsor and the resulting financial strain were at the heart of SA Hockey’s decision not to enter the men’s national team in the 2023/24 FIH Pro League season.
The decision, which was announced on Monday, has left players and fans furious.
The SA men qualified for the competition by winning the Nations Cup at Potchefstroom last year, but lost their place in the esteemed Pro League and will now be replaced by Ireland.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the South African Hockey Association (SAHA) sought to explain their decision, revealing that they were not in a position to meet the January 16 deadline for entry into the League.
“Following the South African men’s ice hockey victory at the FIH Nations Cup in Potchefstroom, the team earned a place in the FIH Pro League subject to specific financial obligations which were met before the January deadline and as a result , we were unable to accept our place in this competition,” the statement read.
“Since early 2022, the South African Hockey Association has secured funding to pay for the Men’s Pro League, the Aslan Shah Cup in Malaysia, the Men’s and Women’s Nations Cups, as well as the Men’s and Women’s World Cup events. We won the Men’s and Women’s World Cup Nations Cup in early December and the FIH submission deadline was January 16, 2023. With the tight deadlines, our ability to communicate effectively was compromised.”
The statement added that SAHA was “immensely proud” of the country’s national teams and the progress they were making, and that it was “simultaneously disappointed that we were unable to secure a sponsor to support the positive progress of our men’s program by having our team play “. in the professional league 23/24 with those short deadlines”.
The statement continued: “As a National Federation, our annual income is less than the amount required to meet the FIH minimum financial requirement for entry into the professional league (approximately R10 million),” the statement continued.
“However, discussions will continue with the team as we continue to work to give them the best chance of maintaining their positive trend.
“We hope that the results of our teams, as well as the results of the recent Indoor World Cup, will open the eyes of South African businesses to the opportunity to support the efforts of our national teams. As the South African Hockey Association, we have eight national teams, teams to take care of with limited funds, therefore players have to pay for certain events and preparation for events.”
