IS?HOCKEY becoming the forgotten sport in Barbados?
I am asking this question because the Barbados Hockey Federation (BHF) seems not to be getting any help in repairing the damaged AstroTurf which is preventing hockey from being played at the Wildey facility.
My information is that competitive hockey was last played there in June last year. It had been used for training as well but has largely become a white elephant not being used for its primary purpose.
If home drums beat first, we must consider the negative impact this is having on our players not only in domestic competition but the ability of national teams to be more competitive in international tournaments. It’s to their credit that their performances have been commendable in the past year.
Notwithstanding the global economic crisis and the London Olympics, there’s speculation that the vast decline in the number of overseas teams in last year’s Banks Hockey Festival was because the event was played on grass.
Not that there is anything wrong with grass but once you make a leap forward in anything there’s always that reluctance to return from whence you came.
That may be the simplistic notion but the truth is that all major competitions should be played on an internationally-accredited surface.
So, quite frankly we are not in that league right now and there could be a high price to pay especially as far as the sports tourism brand is concerned.
Without the artificial turf, it will be much more difficult to sell the festival to overseas teams particularly those from Europe. Some may sympathize with our situation but they want to play in the best conditions.
You may argue that some of the teams come merely for the fun element of the festival but for the serious, competitive teams, it does matter what kind of surface they play on. If we don’t find a way to fix the problems, we will continue to lose foreign exchange.
I am reminded that tourism is our business – to quote one of the slogans used in advertising campaigns by the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA).
In this context, it is reasonable to assume Government will be willing to assist the BHF in repairing the AstroTurf as well as improving the overall ambience of the surroundings.
In these issues, I am Barbadian first and foremost, therefore I concede that if the Government is cash-strapped, decisions have to be made in the interest of the country and not necessarily to serve an individual need.
Hockey helps sell Barbados to the international market and helps boost the economy. We rightfully place emphasis on the Banks Festival but we shouldn’t forget other instances where clubs and learning institutions came to Barbados to use the AstroTurf for competition and training during both summer and winter.
Hockey is an integral and very important member in the sports tourism family. It deserves some priority even in harsh economic times.
Government, though, must not be seen as the only source from which the BHF should be seeking assistance in getting the AstroTurf back in business. They must be proactive in trying to help themselves and put a case to some of their partners in the private sector.
They must also devise fundraising methods that will help offset the restoration cost, believed to be about $2 million.
However, the case will only become meaningful when stakeholders remember the importance of hockey.
• Andi Thornhill is an experienced, award-winning freelance sports journalist.
