Boost for Irish hockey

IRISH hockey took its first step on the journey towards excellence in Dublin yesterday with the announcement that Ireland has been short-listed to host the men’s hockey qualifying tournament for the Beijing Olympics.

As the sport unveiled a branding and commercial drive that ties in with the hosting of the Women’s European Championships this August, Irish Hockey Association’s Chief Executive Paul Varian said making the short-list was a timely boost for the sport.

“There has been a major change in Irish hockey over the past six months and making this short-list is evidence of that,” Varian said. “The days of hockey being seen as a ‘backwater’ amateur sport in Ireland is gone.”