Finances, sponsorship behind SA Hockey's shocking decision to bail on Pro League

The absence of a headline sponsor and the resulting financial strain was at the heart of SA Hockey's decision not to enter the national men's team into the 2023/24 FIH Pro League season. 

The decision, which was announced on Monday, has left players and supporters furious. 

The SA men had qualified for the competition by winning the Nations Cup in Potchefstroom last year, but they have forfeited their spot in the esteemed Pro League and will now be replaced by Ireland. 

In a statement released on Tuesday, the South African Hockey Association (SAHA) sought to explain their decision, revealing that they were not in a position to meet the 16 January deadline to enter the League. 

"Following the South African hockey men's victory at the FIH Nations Cup in Potchefstroom the team had earned a spot in the FIH Pro League subject to specific financial obligations being met by the January deadline and as a result we could not accept our place in this competition," the statement read. 

"Since the beginning of 2022, the South African Hockey Association secured funding to pay for the Men's Pro League, the Aslan Shah Cup in Malaysia, the Men and Women Nations Cups as well as both Men and Women World Cup events. We won the Men's Nations Cup at the beginning of December and the due date for submission to the FIH was on 16 January 2023. With the short timelines, our ability to communicate effectively was compromised."

The statement added that SAHA was "immensely proud" of the country's national sides and the progress they were making, and that it was "simultaneously disappointed that we could not secure a sponsor to support the positive progress of our men's programme by having our team play in the pro league 23/24 with those short timelines."