The CIRH announced this week that the World Schoolboys Championship that was to be held in Vina del Mar Chile at the end of this year would be replaced with a World Juniors Championship.

Despite the protests of the NRHA and Roller Hockey supporters around the world the international body used the opportunity of the meetings at the World Ladies Championship a fortnight ago to hold a vote, without notice, on the issue and force through the will of major Roller Hockey nations.

“I think this decision is typical of the lack of foresight that the CIRH Executive has shown for the last 30 years that has seen the sport shrink around the world!” said Kos Galtos, the NRHA’s Director of Marketing and England Schoolboy Coach.

“At the last World Schoolboys in Chile (February 02) this issue was brought up by the CIRH Executive at the meetings and was shot down by all but the major nations in attendance and I believe that after this incident the NRHA must actively work with other national bodies to hold the CIRH accountable and to ensure the election of a President that listens to the many.”

The CIRH say that they have asked the USA to host the next World Championships for Schoolboys and are awaiting a response, but PRH is concerned that the organising cost will be prohibitive and that the competition will not go ahead and if it does the Schoolboys will miss out on playing in front of crowds in their thousands, which is the key motivational benefit of the competition being held in a major ‘hockey’ nation.

More info:
Reporter: Kos Galtos