South Africa's men's and women's hockey teams have announced their withdrawal from the ongoing 13th African Games citing concerns over the suitability of the Theodosia Okoh Hockey pitch in Accra.
In a statement, the South African teams expressed dissatisfaction with the preparation of the venue, stating that it did not meet the recommendations and guidelines set by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) for hosting competitions of international standard.
The decision to withdraw was communicated to the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and the African Hockey Federation. SA team leader Madam Patience Shikwambana highlighted that consultations with Sports Flooring Warehouse, a specialist in carpet laying recognized by FIH, revealed that the field was not satisfactory and posed potential harm to the athletes.
Furthermore, the South African teams expressed logistical inconvenience caused by the rescheduling of the hockey competition on multiple occasions. Despite assurances of test events to assess the readiness of the hockey pitch, these tests did not occur, failing to meet FIH field certification guidelines.
Despite South Africa's withdrawal, the hockey competition continues with participation from countries such as Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, and hosts Ghana.
This update is part of our coverage of the 13th African Games, brought to you by Bethel Logistics Co. Ltd, experts in Shipping Logistics.