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THE whistle has been blown on indoor hockey being staged at a top sporting facility in the kingdom because the damage caused by sticks and balls proved too bitter a pill for the owners to swallow.
Bahrain Hockey had high hopes of launching a league competition at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) sports hall in Busaiteen and to encourage students to take up the sport.
The partnership was launched with much fanfare just a few weeks ago with an exhibition game and a registration desk was even set up for those interested to play at RCSI Bahrain as a team, volunteer or to sign up for the planned weekly training sessions.
The plans took a blow almost immediately. RCSI Bahrain chief operating officer, Stephen Harrison-Mirfield, said: “We were delighted to be approached by the Bahrain Hockey Association and, as is our normal practice, we wanted to see if we could assist them.
“The partnership was on a not-for-profit basis and was intended to add another layer to our student sports programme, while assisting with the development of the sport around Bahrain, if at all possible.
“From the outset we made clear that a) the RCSI students’ needs would remain our number one priority and b) any activities taking place within the RCSI Bahrain facilities should not cause damage that could be detrimental to the facilities or its existing programmes. The BHA was fully understanding of this and was of the belief that the equipment they would be using would not cause any damage.
“Unfortunately, after the first session, it became clear that this was not the case as there was very visible damage, such as drag marks on the floor from the hockey sticks and indentations on the walls from the ball. BHA was notified of the damage immediately and representatives have seen it for themselves.
“While we appreciate that none of this damage was caused by malicious intent and that it could be perceived as normal wear-and-tear for a purpose-build hockey facility, it was clear that, the continuation of the programme would cause further damage to the RCSI Bahrain facility. In doing so, it would be detrimental to our existing sports programmes, and ultimately our students, and so unfortunately we took the decision to terminate the agreement with BHA.”
The upgraded facility was officially opened in 2014 as part of a $700,000 investment programme which included a new artificial football pitch, new basketball court and the renovation of existing sports facilities.
At the official opening ceremony, Harrison-Mirfield said that the university wanted to see the new facilities used to promote inter-collegiate events with other universities and to improve the overall health of Bahrainis by making them available to the wider community.
For basketball, new International Basketball Federation approved multi-purpose flooring was installed in the university’s sports & recreation centre. It had been designed to accommodate a variety of sports including indoor football, badminton, basketball and volleyball.
Hockey, however, doesn’t fit the bill, much to the disappointment of local enthusiasts, particularly in a ‘massive’ year for the sport which will receive global exposure during the coming summer Olympics to be staged in Brazil.
Harrison-Mirfield added: “We have discussed the matter at length with BHA President, Jude D’Souza, who has seen the damage at first hand and is fully understanding of our position. He reiterated that the BHA would welcome any RCSI Bahrain students who might like to get involved and has suggested that there may be potential for the two parties to work together again at an alternative venue.”
Indoor field hockey, or indoor hockey, is a variant of ‘traditional’ outdoor field hockey and is a recognised World Cup format under the International Hockey Federation.
Indoor hockey differs from the outdoor activity in a number of ways. There are fewer players in an indoor hockey team with teams comprising of a maximum of 12 players with only five, including the goalkeeper, allowed on the pitch at any one time and up to seven substitutes.
The field of play is much smaller, with boards along the side-lines that prevent the ball from going out of play at the side.
Indoor hockey has emerged as one of the biggest indoor team sports in the Western world and Europe. The game is fast catching on in Asia which traditionally plays outdoor field hockey. The Middle East is warming up to this version and Bahrain Hockey aims to make Bahrain a standout nation in respect to this format.
One disappointed player said he had bought specialist equipment to play at the RCSI facilities inlcuding expensive lighter hockey sticks used specifically for indoor games to reduce the chance of damaging the courts.
D’Souza said efforts had been stepped up to find an alternative indoor location. “Hopefully we will provide a solution for this soon,” he added. “We were surprised that indoor hockey could not continue at the RCSI as we were informed that the maintenance of the facility was the top priority for RCSI management.
“While it is unfortunate that the indoor hockey cannot continue, we do understand the genuine reason behind the decision. We hope to collaborate with RCSI for potential opportunities in the future and promoting the game to its students
“The promotion of indoor hockey is an added attraction for the field hockey community on the island and they were looking forward to it, however steps have already been taken to reach out to various facilities to help us promote this exciting version of the game to our players.
“We carry on! We will continue in our efforts. In fact, we organised a social indoor hockey game recently at St. Christopher’s Senior School.
“We are always happy to welcome new players - children or adults. Hockey sessions happen two-to-three times a week, every week, and we hope to continue this regularity even through the summer. We also run ‘Happy Hockey Clinics’ for children every Friday.
“This is a massive year for field hockey in general as the Olympics will be held in Rio in September so it’s a great frame of reference for hockey players and enthusiasts here. With this in mind, we are planning exciting activities and strengthening our commitment to developing the game, with strong support from the Bahrain Olympic Committee.
“Bahrain Hockey’s digital media impression has been rated as one of the strongest coming out of the region, with regular content, posts, updates, pictures and videos.’
For more details call 39658618 or follow the group’s Facebook page (BahrainHockey) for regular updates. Information is also available @BahrainHockey on Twitter and Instagram.
