Irish hockey
has formally begun the search for a new chief executive following the departure of Mike Heskin to NUIG, where he is now director of sport. Heskin's tenure culminated in the Irish men qualifying for his year's Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, former president of the Irish Hockey Association Herbie Sharman died this week. More than an administrator, Sharman was an enthusiast for the game at every level.
The always-courteous Sharman enjoyed spells managing the under-18 and under-21 national teams.
It was as a Kilkenny College teacher that he first became involved at schools level and was always a president in the making with his energy and affable manner. Sharman died after a long-term illness and will be sorely missed by all.
Disgruntled Ir
ish hockey is now seeking a CEO who can run the sport in its totality, including dealing with a disgruntled Ulster Branch.
But an imperative for whoever is selected is to also support a national men’s team that has broken through to a new level. To maintain the team’s standing and to provide everything necessary for Rio requires even more financial structures.
The job application closes at the end of this month and the hope would be that the successful candidate will hit the ground running for what is the most important seven months in the history of the national team.
As part of that, Ireland beat Canada 2-0 yesterday in the first of their eight Tests in South Africa. Games against Spain, South Africa and Belgium have also been scheduled for the two-week camp.
