One expects to see quality when the tag “international” is attached to an event.
Therefore, I was quite disappointed to say the least, when I turned up for the opening day of competition in the just-concluded 28th Annual Banks International Barbados Hockey Festival and encountered the conditions which I did.
With no artificial turf available, the matches had been relocated to the “natural surfaces” of Queen’s Park and Weymouth “A”.
Having decided to cover the first match of the Durham Jesters – who happened to be the only international team in the competition – I was astounded to see the conditions under which they were forced to play on at Weymouth.
The grass was extremely high – so high that at one point while watching a women’s match between defending champions ABC and Deacons, I couldn’t see one of the players’ ankles.
It was evident that the grass had not been cut for the competition, for which the Barbados Hockey Federation (BHF) should have no excuse.
Players tried in vain to either dribble or string passes together. Both were made impossible by the length of the grass. And things only got worse following a heavy downpour, making it twice as hard to manoeuvre through the lush outfield.
It was no surprise that when the Jesters hit the field for their match against UWI, they struggled. Despite all the skills of their players, and for all the impressive techniques which they displayed, it all counted for nothing as they never came to grips with the conditions.
One photographer at the ground was even overheard saying that the ground was better for “grazing cows than playing hockey”.
I am quite aware of the predicament currently facing the BHF regarding the absence of an AstroTurf. In an interview just before the start of the competition, BHF president David Rouse warned that without an artificial surface, Barbados was in danger of losing the festival.
However, not having an all-weather turf cannot be the reason for failing to ensure adequate preparation of match venues for this “international” tournament.
The organizers should have ensured that with what few resources they had, a competition which according to Rouse is “rated as one of the top five adult hockey festivals in the world”, should have been presented as such.
The grass at the venues should have been cut three or four days before the start, with a last-minute touch-up done either the Saturday or Sunday before the scheduled Monday tip-off.
I also noticed that before every game there was a mad scramble to find referees to officiate. This simply should not be.
For a tournament of this stature, referees should have been notified of which games and at what times they would be required to officiate.
Only barring an emergency should such a situation occur where there is a frantic search to find a suitable replacement.
Referees should also have been uniformed, as that gives a more professional feel to the competition, and not just allowed to wear their own clothes, as it portrayed a somewhat untidy look.
After playing in such conditions, what now does the BHF expect the Jesters to tell their hockey colleagues when they return home to England.
That the food was good? Or maybe the sea, sun and sand were “bloody great”? Definitely not that the weather was “jolly fine”, considering that rain fell almost the entire first day and the second day of competition was entirely lost to rain.
One can only hope that with an AstroTurf scheduled to be laid before the start of the 2014 Festival, that not only will we see an upgrade on the field of play, but also in the tournament’s organization.
