Turning point for N.Z. hockey

Press, 17 November 1981, Page 40

Turning point for N.Z. hockey

By

KEVIN TUTTY

The New Zealand Hockey Association is at a turning point, and the direction it will take will be determined at its annual meeting in Wellington this week-end. Delegates will have to decide whether New Zealand continues with its proposed international programme, or restricts its activities, and eventually finds itself unable to qualify tor the major international tournaments including the Olympics and World Cup. These bare facts were outlined by the chairman of the association's management

committee (Mr D. L. Coulter) yesterday: “Provincial associations have got to be prepared to help the management committee and make firm commitments to assist when asked, especially in the field of fund-raising,” he said. “Associations have got to be constructive instead of offering no alternatives, and giving no support morally or physically. “The management committee realises provincial associations have their own financial burdens, but if the game is going to be strong nationally it has to have

total support,” said Mr Coulter. “In the past we have had, and proposed, national raffles, but they have never received full support. Even when we have offered associations and clubs profit-sharing on the sale of raffle tickets it hasn't been enough to Win their support. “The management committee has done its best to administer Npw Zealand hockey. We introduced a regional delegate scheme to enable provincial associations to keep up with what is

happening at national level, but they haven’t been prepared to pool funds and send delegates to even a couple of meetings a . year.” “If the associations want to move the management committee to another city they have the opportunity at the annual meeting. If they don’t it’s time the sniping at the N.Z.H.A. stopped and we got some support. We can take worthwhile criticism — it helps to keep us on our toes — but ill-informed criticism annoys us,” Mr Coulter said. “One way to raise the finance lor tours would

simply be to increase the tours levy paid by each team in New Zealand, but we don’t want to do that,” he said. “If players approach the public with a fund raising scheme I would hope they would get support. After all we have teams in both the senior and junior World Cup finals — a feat which is perhaps unique in New Zealand sport.” At present the association is working with a professional promoter on fund-rais-ing proposals. In the next three years and a half the

association faces a bill of SISO,(MM) (in addition to what it recieves in grants and sponsorships) to finance the international programme for the senior and junior teams. To win back a place in the top four teams in the world it was essential that the national team had international matches every year, in New Zealand or overseas. Mr Coulter said. “Next year the Indians are due to tour here and in 1983 we hope to attract a top European team. To make those tours a success we need the full support of hockey players.”