During the second meeting of the year held at the Olympic House in Lausanne, the FIH, under the leadership of President Tayyab Ikram, unveiled an innovative strategy for the global development of hockey known as the “Empowerment and Engagement” strategy. The launch took place in the presence of IOC President Thomas Bach.
This comprehensive plan builds upon the program initially announced by Tayyab Ikram at the beginning of his tenure in November of the previous year and subsequently confirmed at the FIH Executive Board meeting in January. The primary objective of the strategy is to empower hockey stakeholders, including Continental Federations (CFs) and National Associations (NAs), enabling them to take the lead in hockey development within their respective continents and countries. Additionally, the strategy seeks to engage with all FIH members and hockey stakeholders.
The ambitious program revolves around four main pillars:
1. Creating more places to play, including the installation of 10-15 new Hockey5s pitches worldwide, free of cost.
2. Boosting coaching by providing 200 days of High-Performance assistance.
3. Increasing opportunities to compete by introducing potential new events or making adjustments to existing events to enhance team participation.
4. Providing more tools to empower CFs and NAs, such as delivering 10,000 hockey sticks per year.
The strategy also encompasses other key elements, including a focus on reaching out to youth, the establishment of a new Development Bureau, enhanced communication through intensified digital engagement, regular consultation with hockey stakeholders, a transparent process, and a repurposed Hockey Foundation that drives social development, sustainability efforts, and FIH’s contribution to the UN SDGs through hockey.
The FIH President, Tayyab Ikram, emphasized that the development of hockey worldwide is the organization’s foremost mission. While acknowledging progress made in this area over the years, he emphasized the need to take action and reach the next level. The new strategy places a strong emphasis on empowering and engaging with all FIH members and hockey stakeholders, with the aim of making hockey accessible to everyone, everywhere, and at any time. The motto of the strategy is “Athletes first,” with a specific focus on youth.
Tayyab Ikram expressed his sincere gratitude to IOC President Thomas Bach for his support and for attending the official launch of the FIH Empowerment and Engagement strategy, as well as welcoming them to the Olympic House.
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