Bloom

Appeal to all hockey supporters either in SA or abroad

Published on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 by Gally

The South African Men’s hockey team is due to take part in the Champions Challenge in Argentina in early December. This tournament will give the team a great opportunity to attempt to break into the elite Champions Trophy tournament which is for the top six teams in World Hockey.

With the loss of the valuable SPAR sponsorship and the lack of Lotto funding for this season it has left South African hockey in a situation where they cannot send the team to this important tournament.

Fortunately the “Friends of Hockey Trust” has stepped in and agreed to assist financially by contributing a large portion of the cost of the tour. Unfortunately they are not able to cover the entire costs which has left the players in a position where they are expected to contribute R 10 000 each in order to represent their country.

This tournament is vital to South African hockey for a number of reasons:

If they win this tournament they will gain promotion to the Champions Trophy which is for the top 6 teams in world hockey.
They need to attend the tournament to gain very valuable ranking points.
Failure to attend the tournament will result in the team being suspended from the next two world tournaments (World Cup & Commonwealth Games).

Whilst the players who have been selected have agreed to contribute the additional R10 000, I believe that it is unfair to expect the ‘current team’ to have to carry the burden of ensuring that South African hockey stays in the top tiers of world hockey.

This brings me to the point of my article.

I am hoping that the South African hockey community will pull together and help contribute financially towards the team. This can be done in two ways:

Contribute to the team
Contribute to a specific individual in the team, perhaps a player from your province.

Every little contribution will help and I challenge the hockey community to make a difference.

If you want to help then contact the “The Friends of Hockey Trust”:

Charlie Pereira
Email: carlos@bundunet.com

I would like to commend the “Friends of Hockey Trust” on their valuable contribution to hockey in our New South Africa. Without their intervention South African hockey would be in a very dismal place.

Yours in hockey,

Darryn Gallagher
Hockeysa.co.za

5 Responses

Lynette

November 12, 2009 at 12:58 pm

Why does SA hockey not have a new sponsor yet – is it perhaps due due lack of trying to find a sponsor?

Michael

November 15, 2009 at 3:03 pm

Come on Lynette you must be blond. Why in god’s earth would you think that SA hockey has not tried everything they possilbly can to find a sponsor? You dont just pick up million rand sponsors from the classified or phoning a friend.

Rather we should be looking at why we sat back, mealie mouthed and silent when each sponser we had, literally walked away and abondoned South African Hockey. Assuming we did nothing major to offend any of the institutions involved then all I can say is that “NEDBANK, RESOLUTION AND NOW SPAR ALL SUCK”

Why cant the hockey fraternity do the normal African thing “boycott” their outlets – toyi toyi outside their places of business and make it known that we are the people who help them stay in business by buying their products and shopping at their supermarkets.

Instead our SA Officials bow gracefully and say “thank you, thank you for your past assistance and please dont feel bad about dumping us – just when we most need your help.”

Lets get real – Nedbank – didnt get a couple thousand named data base so what was in for them???

Resolution – Who knows what they wanted other than SA Hockey changing the entire team name and kit for one whole year with absolutely no further investment. Good one!!

Spar – this is the best – they gonna feed the “hungry” – of course they are the ones buying at their outlets – ya right!!!

Its the middles class women and men who shop at Spar any time I’m there. We the hockey community countrywide are the customers who make a difference to their sales and profit margins. We already paying taxes up and down the ying yang to the Government to feed the hungry. So why has Spar abondoned the Ladies Hockey.

Are they intending to drop sponsorship to the Ladies running and every other sport they are involved in? Imagine how many hungry they could feed then.

Come on Hockey Players, supporters and friends let get our own Julius Malema to lead our group and show our displeasure at these institutions for baling out on a sport which is in danger of being left out of World Competitions.

Let them know that we are not impressed with their “Kiss Ass decisions” to impress God knows who. MayBEE our new government.

So Yes Lynette perhaps you have some suggestions as to exactly where SAHA could contact that sponsor you appear to think grows on trees. Your input would be most welcome.

And please Ladies and Gentleman let your local branch of the above companies know
WE MAY NOT BE RUGBY OR SOCCER – BUT WE LOVE OUR SPORT AND NEED SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY CARES ABOUT OUR SURVIVAL TO COME TO THE PARTY.

Alan

November 18, 2009 at 10:41 pm

Yes you should tell all the sponsors to take a hike, good on you Mike, but what happened to the Govt stepping up to the plate? They the Govt are very quick to dictate how the ethnic layout of the team should be, so why don’t they redirect some of the millions that have been stolen by the corrupt bunch in office, and give some of it to SAHA and hopefully one will see some positive come out of it. No that is too easy as some politician won’t be able to get a new Merc !! Wake up ANC !!!

Alan

November 18, 2009 at 10:47 pm

One other thing. Have you ever gone into the sticks and seen the prices that Spar and their affiliates are charging for their goods. They are ripping off the poor !!!