Youth funding boost for hockey

Hockey youth programmes here will receive a boost with five local clubs awarded $10,000 each under a new youth development academy grant by the Singapore Hockey Federation (SHF).

The five sides are the Old Rafflesians' Association (ORA), Jansenites, Singapore Indian Association (IA), Hypernova, and Vijayanti.

The grant, which was started in partnership with local media agency The Little Red Eye - which contributed $50,000 - was announced yesterday at a ceremony at One Farrer Hotel.

SHF vice-president and youth development committee head Christabel Chan said these youth development efforts "are aimed at ensuring the long-term viability of hockey and the values, culture and community that go hand in hand with the sport".

The grant aims to give a much-needed boost to youth programmes that have been hampered by the pandemic.

Full-scale hockey competitions have been unable to take place for two years and training was restricted to groups of five and below before the authorities relaxed safe management measures last week.

Benjamin Kee, general manager of The Little Red Eye, said: "Policies that have been put in place during this global pandemic have unfortunately had a negative impact on sports in our country. And as an active sportsman in my youth, it was clear to me that stakeholders must come together if we are to keep our sporting culture burning bright."

The grant was welcomed by members of the hockey fraternity.

Hypernova chairman Joshua Tan said: "This grant is a great initiative that will help clubs like us kick-start youth programmes to ensure we have a steady flow of talent into our senior teams.

"We're all looking forward to competing again soon, and having such a programme in place will at least breathe some new life into the club scene."

To ensure a broad and sustainable impact on youth hockey here, the committee has set an eligibility criteria for clubs to meet.

Some of these include having youth teams in different age groups (Under-12, U-14, U-16, U-19), a 75 per cent retention of athletes and organising youth tournaments within the club.

SHF president Mathavan Devadas was hopeful support from sponsors like The Little Red Eye would aid its efforts in igniting interest and participation in hockey among young Singaporeans.

He said: "Every little effort that can help us re-ignite interest in the sport must be embraced, and every little step towards reversing the effects that the pandemic has had, and revitalising the pipelines that lead into our national teams will only help us in the future."