HOCKEY has seen better days in Fiji.
Unlike some sports which have seen growth in clubs and players, it is quite the opposite for hockey. Instead of using its stronghold to grow, numbers have been dwindling locally for the sport.
Compared with the 1970s and the 1980s when the sport was so dominant, that playing fields would be booked out for the famous Sunday matches, games start at half day and over well before dusk.
Dr Robin Mitchell, now the president of Fiji Hockey Federation said back then, Sunday meant hockey club games happening in four different grounds.
“We had more than 30 club in Suva alone. Nadi, Lautoka, Ba and Ovalau had their clubs matches as well, unlike what we are seeing now,” Dr Mitchell said.
“I grew up in Levuka where hockey was the main sport played in school. Every Saturday we would start hockey at Nasau Park and all other sports including rugby would have to wait for us to finish so they could get on with their games.”
Hector Smith who is now the national head coach and also Oceania Hockey Federation’s regional development officer also grew up in an era when hockey ruled the turf. It was more grass in those days but none the less, hockey ruled.
“There were more clubs and the competition was stiff. I think there were more clubs in those days because there were more hockey fields and the equipment was not that expensive,” Smith said.
“On Sundays, the Buckhurst Park was divided into four hockey fields. And also because hockey was part of the school sports program. I guess only a few schools play hockey now as well.”
So what went wrong? How does a sport which has more than 30 clubs in Suva alone go down to less than 10 in four decades?
According to Dr Mitchell, hockey started competing with football and lost.
“The late 1970s and the 1980s were challenging times. Hockey was actually competing with football for players, fields and national attention,” he added.
“More of our players were turning towards football, some were playing both but football started getting ahead and hockey slowly got pushed as a minor sport.”
Here is a brief history of football development which could help in understanding what had happened in those days.
In the 1970s, Fiji Football Association was able to convince town councils to build permanent seating structures and grounds for football and by the late nineties all top division teams, except two had such facilities.
From 1976 pool play was introduced into the inter-district football tournament. Regular district level competitions were organised with the formation of the National League in 1977. The Battle of Giants tournament started in 1978.
A Girmit Tournament was organised in 1979 to celebrate the centenary of the arrival of the Indians.
In 1980, the Fiji Football Association acquired its own building, which is being used as an administration centre and the sport reached a cult status only second to rugby in Fiji.
But hockey is also very interesting. Although there has been very few development in terms of attracting more players to the sport, individual athlete development has been fantastic.
In the recent Oceania Cup, Fiji showed world champions Australia what they could really do.
“Internationally Fiji Hockey has achieved what most team sports in Fiji have failed to do. We have been to most international meets and have performed above expectations,” Smith said.
“If you look at the skill set of our players now, it is on par with some of the best in the world. The development plan that has been adopted seeks to make better players and in turn we will have better teams.
“In the Pacific we are the champions. Only Australia and New Zealand, who are hockey super powers are above us. Any other island nation would get a hiding playing Fiji. Fiji’s showing at recent international events has been applauded.
“Even our officials are moving up. The referees and match officials are also being trained and we are hoping to have an official at the Olympic Games in 2020. The 2016 window has already closed.”
Smith himself is now qualified to train coaches and officials in the region.
Another issue affecting the sport is the availability of playing turf. As the game transits into the modern era, less games are being played on grass and more on turf.
Prior to the 2015 Pacific Games, Fiji was the only country in the region with a hockey turf, Papua New Guinea has it now as well.
But maintaining the turf is not easy.
“To maintain the turf which we currently have at the National Hockey Centre costs around $10,000 a month. Money that Fiji Hockey does not have,” Dr Mitchell said.
Fiji Hockey had been leased the Hockey Centre by the Fiji Sports Council but last year the council took over again.
Under Fiji Hockey’s watch, the turf was just used by the clubs who to train had to hire the turf at an hourly rate. Revenue was at an average of $2000 a month but under the council the revenue has increased to more than $10,000 a month and this is because the council is hiring the turf to other sports mostly football.
The turf is now booked out with soccer dominating the bookings.
For the national coach this is wrong.
“The turf is meant for hockey. With that turf we are able to attract overseas teams and hold international competitions. This helps in the growth of the sport. But with soccer being played on the turf, hockey is not being given the time they need,” Smith said.
“The turf is not meant for soccer (football), it is made for hockey. The council should realise this and help with the development of the sport.”
Despite the odds working against the federation, the administrators remain positive that they would come out on top as they always have and hockey will prevail.
