The president of the African Hockey Federation, Mr Seif Ahmed, has refuted claims by the South African Hockey Federation that the hockey pitch being used for the African Games is substandard.
According to Mr. Seif, the pitch meets international standards.
He stated that pictures circulated by the South Africans were taken before the pitch installation was complete and before any tests were conducted. South Africa withdrew their men’s and women’s teams from the competition, citing safety concerns over the pitch quality.
However, Mr. Seif maintained that South Africa did not follow proper procedures in their withdrawal. He dismissed the claim that the pitch is substandard as untenable.
“They came two days before and took some pictures when the laying was unfinished and no tests had been done. They did not consult with the team managers or discuss with us as the tournament directors. They made a unilateral decision to withdraw,” Mr. Seif said.
He added, “The pitch you see has hosted six matches already over the last two days. We have two days left to determine the gold, silver and bronze medalists. Do you think we’d have time to test it right before the first match? But from our experience, we judged it safe for play. Our players are enjoying the matches immensely.”
The newly installed pitch surface is of the highest quality, put in place by Best Britz Engineering Solutions Company. Mr Seif noted it is the same surface expected at the upcoming Paris Olympics.
He clarified that certification is only mandatory for Olympic qualifying events, providing no basis for withdrawal over safety issues for these African Games.
“We came to play, not find excuses not to play. This pitch will greatly benefit hockey across Africa’s 25 hockey-playing nations. Only South Africa currently has certified turfs. If we took over the pitch late, we couldn’t certify it in time. But our experience confirms it is safe for use.”
South Africa is still competing in 17 other disciplines at the ongoing 13th African Games.