The EuroHockey Solidarity through Great Governance (SGG) project continues to empower national hockey associations across Europe to create and implement strategic plans, helping to shape the future of the sport at all levels.

Supported by the European Union, the Erasmus+ project fosters stronger governance and development in hockey through tailored national strategies, aligned with Olympic Committees and sports ministries.

At the most recent group meeting, representatives from Bulgaria, Portugal, Finland, Croatia, Türkiye and Ukraine provided encouraging updates on their progress.

They demonstrated how far the project has come and how the lessons learned are being shared across the European hockey family.

EuroHockey executive board and Development Committee member Peter Elders said of the project: “In eight years of being involved with the Development Committee, this is probably the masterpiece so far.

“A joint effort by so many great people after we were fortunate to receive the European funding. During the General Assembly in August, we will be happy to explain you more and to show the possibilities.” 

Ukraine set to launch new strategy

Work is underway with Ukraine’s new federation leadership to finalise a refreshed strategic plan. Iryna Harchenko from the national federation and Nelia Demianets from Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee shared that the federation will adopt a dual focus on high-performance sport and mass participation, creating separate but aligned strategic strands.

They also aim to adopt digital tracking tools, inspired by Bulgaria, to monitor real-time progress, an important step in building capacity during challenging times.

As Iryna noted: “It’s inspiring to see what other federations have done. We need to think creatively about how to structure our sport and make sure our goals are realistic and sustainable for our people.”

Bulgaria leads the way in tracking progress

Bulgaria is using Cascade software to track 27 strategic objectives, offering full visibility to board members, staff and partners.

Dimitri Dubuisson highlighted that although many objectives remain in the ‘at risk’ category – a reflection of the federation’s limited resources – strong progress is being made in priority areas:

• Annual Girls’ Day events have been launched to boost female participation.
• A marketing and promotional plan is now in place and partnerships are developing, notably with clothing manufacturer Osaka.
• New communication tools are helping raise the profile of hockey and attract support.
• Regular monthly strategy meetings ensure board members remain actively engaged.

As SGG consultant Phil Taylor commented: “It’s fantastic to see Bulgaria’s strategy driving decisions across the organisation. The monthly meetings, use of images and real-life stories help bring the plan to life.”

Portugal focuses on youth and community growth

Portugal’s Families, Friends and Festivals strategy has already delivered impactful results:

• National Youth Hockey Day brought 100 children together in a festive celebration.
• New Masters events will link generations of players and create vibrant community hubs.
• Two regional training hubs are launching to support talent pathways.
• A strong focus on school outreach is expanding hockey into new districts.
• Inclusion efforts have been boosted through wheelchair hockey and Down syndrome participation in festivals.

Key next steps include implementing a club certification framework, further integrating parents and volunteers, and developing a new coaching pathway — with a goal of 25 Level 2 coaches trained by the end of 2025.

Finland rebuilds its federation from the ground up

With a newly elected board, Finland’s federation is making rapid progress:

• Five active committees are now driving work in development, competitions, high performance, communications, and umpiring.
• New clubs are being established — one already founded and two more underway.
• National teams for men and women are now operating with structured 10-year plans.
• A junior summer camp and club development programme are building momentum.
• A new part-time development coordinator has just started — a key step toward sustainable growth.

As Mika Rihtila noted: “We’ve had to restart the whole federation — it’s been a huge effort to activate new people and create a structured way of working. Now we’re ready to truly deliver on our strategy.”

Croatia building for the future

Croatia’s federation is focusing on three priority areas:

1. Coaching — A new role will oversee coaching pathways and national teams.
2. New clubs — A plan is in place to establish up to 10 new clubs across the country, starting with 3–4 this year.
3. Infrastructure — Legacy funds from hosting the Indoor World Cup have enabled the purchase of three indoor hockey surfaces, with two pitches being installed in Zagreb later this year.

Further support will come from EuroHockey to help develop Croatia’s coaching pathway in the months ahead.

Türkiye pushes boundaries through collaboration

Türkiye’s Pursuing Our Potential strategy is driving ambitious developments:

• An FIH Level Umpiring Course was delivered alongside the domestic Super League.
• International umpires were brought into domestic matches to raise standards and inspire local officials.
• The Super League is now broadcast live on national TV, raising hockey’s profile.
• Seven coaches visited Spain on an EU-funded capacity-building exchange, learning best practices from one of Europe’s top federations.
• Work is beginning on a new hockey pitch in Ankara, supported by close ties with the national sports ministry.
• A newly hired social media specialist is running national awareness campaigns.

As Tom Pedersen-Smith noted: “Türkiye’s success in getting a new pitch shows the power of relationships. Their federation is regularly in front of their ministry and Olympic Committee — a model for others to follow.”

Next steps

As the SGG project enters its next phase, focus areas for the next six months include:

• Finalising operational plans and financial costing across all federations.
• Strengthening relationships with ministries and Olympic Committees — key to unlocking future funding and support.
• Preparing to present the project’s outcomes at EuroHockey’s General Assembly in August under the new banner of Organisational Health.
• Planning a Final Celebration event in Brussels later this year to showcase achievements to the European Union and hockey family.

Phil and Tom concluded the meeting with a clear message: “You’re doing incredible work — please keep sharing your success stories with us and your ministries. We want to show the EU why hockey is a great investment for European sport.”

** For more information on the Solidarity through Great Governance project and to access resources, please visit the EuroHockey website.