A vastly skilled and extremely revered coach has appealed to Hockey Eire to urgently tackle the present hiatus within the sport and do all of their energy to get the top-flight EY Irish Hockey League (EYHL) again up and operating once more.
Dave Passmore argues that with nearly all of Eire’s Olympic squad enjoying within the nationwide league, the ban on coaching and enjoying will finally harm the crew’s possibilities of making ready correctly for the Video games in Tokyo.
The Englishman, who’s presently accountable for Catholic Institute and the Eire Beneath-23 ladies, believes that extra ought to be carried out by the governing physique to redress the state of affairs.
With the Republic quickly coming into week two of a six-week hockey break underneath Stage 5 restrictions, time is of the essence whereas different sports activities proceed. In Ulster, the ban on group coaching and aggressive hockey is because of lengthen till November 14.
When stricter measures to fight Covid have been launched, hockey misplaced its ‘elite’ standing which allowed the season to start out final month as the game is now following authorities directions.
Nevertheless, Passmore disagrees with the premise behind the transfer and is urging the authorities to take motion.
Catholic Institute have written to Hockey Eire expressing their considerations.
Former Eire males’s boss Passmore stated: “I’m pointing the finger at Hockey Eire as a result of they’re our consultant physique. I’m them to struggle for us, to say we’re elite. There’s a common feeling we weren’t consulted.
“All of us wish to assist the battle in opposition to Covid however what I can not perceive is why sports activities have been handled so in another way with no rationale.
“Inter-county GAA and the FAI League of Eire ladies’s leagues are going forward but the EYHL has been halted with no coaching allowed both.
“The programme that (Eire coach) Sean Dancer has constructed for the ladies going to Tokyo absolutely included the EYHL matches as a part of that and but it has been stopped at a key time.
“There is no such thing as a proof of both hockey coaching or matches including to the unfold of the virus, and it will finally have an effect on the event of the crew in direction of the Tokyo Olympics.
“Some huge questions should be requested round these disparities and hockey is being left behind. Hockey Eire want to face up and ask these tough questions.”
Belfast Telegraph
