Husband and wife Nico and Jo Ioane are hoping to help revive the sport of hockey in Samoa which has taken a hiatus after 2019 like all things affected by the pandemic.

The couple return to Mudgee in New South Wales in Australia on Tuesday and until then they have been engaging children and young adults from Vaimoso which Mr Ioane has personal links to.

On Saturday they were at the park opposite the Lava Hotel in Sogi, which is apparently the only space available to Samoa Hockey.

“We have always been part of hockey. I play for Samoa and I am always ready to help with the sport whenever I am here,” Mr Ioane said.

“It is encouraging to that there is still enthusiasm in hockey and I am hoping to help revive the sport in the country.”

The Ioanes with Samoa Hockey have run bigger programs including their last one in 2020 where they toured schools in Upolu and Savai'i.

Samoa Hockey President Faamausili Taiva Ah Young said there were 10 hockey clubs before the pandemic and after a recent check, six clubs are still interested in being part of a local competition.

He said the Pacific Games was in November this year in the Solomon Islands and they needed to pick a national team and for that to happen a local competition needs to start.

“Most of our national players are abroad on seasonal work schemes but while there, they have been able to play for clubs there. That is a good thing and we know that the players have been getting game time,” Mr Ah Young added. 

“The trials will be in June and we hope to get a good team. We know that there is interest in the sport and we also know that development should also start.”

Samoa Hockey is in the process of setting up their office and will soon announce the appointment of a sports development officer. All of this has been made possible thanks to funding through the AusSports programme.

The sport’s biggest obstacle is the unavailability of a ground and most nations have facilities with artificial turf, which is what is recommended by the sports governing body, International Hockey Federation. 

Samoa hosted the 2019 Pacific Games on a grass turf. The facility and ground now houses the United Nations and its offices and according to security protocols of the UN, the team cannot play in the field.

Mr Ah Young said they have been playing in the open space in front of Lava Hotel but its not suited for hockey as the ground is not level.

As a player, Mr Ioane also knows that this affects the game, as the grass provide more friction on the ball and when playing on the turf, the game becomes almost twice as fast.

The hockey competition at the Pacific Games in Honiara will be played on an artificial turf and this is a big challenge for Samoa Hockey.