SA hockey teams withdrawn from African Games due to poor conditions

The SA men’s and women’s hockey sides have both been withdrawn from the African Games in Ghana, with Team SA management claiming on Monday the playing conditions were unsuitable for an international tournament.

According to the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc), it was decided that the venue in Accra was “not sufficiently prepared to stage the competition”, which was based on recommendations and guidelines set down by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

Independent specialists also advised Sascoc that the playing surface could potentially harm or injure players, and with both SA teams having already qualified for the Paris Olympics later this year, the umbrella body did not want to take any risks.

“Despite repeated assurances that the pitches would be ready for international-standard competition, the pitches are unsuitable,” Sascoc said, confirming the teams had been officially pulled from the continental Games.

No test matches

According to FIH guidelines, uncertified hockey fields needed to be tested ahead of major tournaments, but Team SA leader Patience Shikwambana said this had not been done.

“These tests should be conducted months before a competition, but in this case have not taken place,” Shikwambana said.

“Furthermore, the FIH has a number of accredited test institutes, and these have accredited engineers located around the world’, and we are not certain if they have been involved and provided the necessary certification.”

Poor organisation

Insufficient planning by the local organising committee had also made it challenging for South Africa to prepare for the quadrennial showpiece.

“The rescheduling of the hockey competition on numerous occasions has caused an inconvenience to us logistically, as a team, where we had to arrange for both the teams to fly to Ghana in time for the commencement of the competition,” Shikwambana said.

The medal playoffs of the hockey tournament in Ghana are scheduled to be held later this week. In the absence of South Africa, the men’s tournament has been reduced to four teams while the women’s competition consists of only three sides.

Field hockey was last played at the African Games in Nigeria in 2003, with the SA women’s team winning gold and the SA men’s squad securing silver behind champions Egypt.