Attempt to host Olympic event fails

HOCKEY: There was disappointment in the Irish Hockey Association this week when the association's bid to host one of the three mens' Olympic qualifying tournaments for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games was turned down by the international Hockey federation (FIH). Instead the three qualifiers will be played in Chile, Japan and New Zealand.

The news is all the more surprising because Ireland was short listed to host the event when it consisted of only one event.

Not getting one of the three is obviously a blow to an organisation that has a proven track record of excellent organisation and good support for the matches.

"We're extremely disappointed in this decision," said IHA chief executive Paul Varian today.

"A successful bid would have enabled us to develop men's hockey in Ireland significantly over the next two years and continue to broaden the profile of the sport at large.

"To not be assigned one of three tournaments when we were originally short-listed to host the event when it consisted of only one tournament is particularly disappointing.

"However, the FIH have made their decision and our next step will be to fully understand where our bid came up short so we can be successful in the future."

The decision was announced at the FIH's World Hockey Congress last weekend in London and concluded a bid process that has taken two years in its entirety for the IHA.

In late 2004, the association lodged its initial bid to host the event when the structure consisted of just one qualifying tournament. The bid was short-listed.

However, a change in the structure of Olympic qualification for the sport of hockey to include more nations, over three tournaments, led to the IHA being asked to re-bid under the subsequent structure. An enhanced bid was lodged from Ireland in August 2006, but it has now proved to be unsuccessful.

It also means that the Irish team's chance of qualifying for the Olympics is diminished because home advantage will not be an issue. None of the three countries listed are places the recent squad of players have visited in recent years as competitors.

With that target in mind the under-21 interprovincial series takes place this weekend at Three Rock Rovers with Leinster opening against Ulster tonight at 7pm.

FIXTURES: Friday: Under-21 Interprovincial Series - Leinster V Ulster, 7.0, Grange Road. Saturday: Leinster Senior League: Division Two: Avoca v PSBPP, 1.45pm, Newpark; Naas v Clontarf, 1.30pm, Naas; Skerries v Navan, 12.30pm, Skerries; UCD v Kilkenny, 1.0, Belfield; Weston v Suttonians, 2.30, Sutton Park. Munster Senior League - Belvedere A v Catholic Institute, 12.0, Ballincollig; Under-21 Interprovincial Series - Munster v Ulster, 2.0, Grange Road. Sunday: Under-21 Interprovincial Series - Leinster V Munster, 1.0, Grange Road.