Underwater hockey in France is now a high level sport!

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What a news for our sport! From January 1st 2022, underwater hockey will be recognized as a high level sport by ministerial order! After months of work led by our DTN, Richard Thomas, years of effort will be rewarded, UWHnews explains what will change for our sport!

What if French hockey was moving to another dimension? In any case, this is the goal of this recognition process as a high level sport and everything is just beginning. First of all, to get this recognition, our sport had to comply with one of the selection criteria. At least 15 nations per international competition and especially good results from the senior teams, elite in underwater hockey (4th place minimum on the last two Olympiads).

Then, it was necessary to fight for Richard Thomas, to argue and especially to prove that our sport had a structured federation, a serious international federation and a minimum of media coverage around it (hey there 🙂 ).

From now on, the French federation has to work on the federal performance projects, what will articulate this notion of high level sport. High level clubs, high level poles? What criteria should be used to allow athletes to apply for the social status of high level sportsmen and women? Questions that will have to be settled before this autumn and one more oral test that Richard Thomas will have to take to present these projects.

Finally, we must not forget that it is the sport that will be considered as high level sport from January 1st 2022 and not all the athletes of the French teams, for example… It is an important notion to understand!