Craig Fulton: Financial uncertainty damaging Green Machine’s hockey hopes

Ireland’s sports funding model needs to be altered to help the nation’s hockey teams continue their recent progress, according to senior men’s coach Craig Fulton.

The South African guided Ireland to a record world ranking of 10th on the back of a European bronze medal in 2015 plus a first qualification for the Olympics in 108 years, but the Irish panel had to fundraise €220,000 to run their preparation campaign for Rio.

Having also asked supporters for €65,000 to partake in the Champions Challenge I in Argentina four years ago, Fulton wants Sport Ireland’s year-by-year funding model to be run along the lines of Sport NI, where funding is allocated on a four-year basis, to give Hockey Ireland more financial certainty.