Long road ahead for hockey

Hockey is far from down for the count, but Barbados Hockey Federation (BHF) president Mark St Hill has acknowledged it is going to take some time to rebuild this country as a viable destination for the sport.

Considering that hockey had been set back by the absence of the AstroTurf for eight years, St Hill said he was not disappointed that it was taking a little while for the sport to rise again.

His comments come against the background of the news that fewer than ten overseas teams have entered the 2018 Barbados International Hockey Festival, which starts on Sunday.

“I am not disappointed at the pace at which hockey is at. What it is, is a dose of reality, in that people need to realise that when you have a franchise and that franchise has been impacted, getting back the turf is critical but everyone is not going to change their plans overnight and swarm back to Barbados.

“Overseas teams when they are planning, they plan two or three years ahead, so there is a rebuilding process. Obviously we would want to have 20 or 30 overseas teams, but it is not only about rebuilding hockey, but rebuilding the place as a destination for the sport,” he said. (MK)

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