Australian Minister for Sport, Kate Lundy, Hockey Australia CEO, Mark Anderson and Hockeyroo Stacia Joseph at the campaign launch.

Hockey Australia joined with eleven Australia's national sporting organisations to provide an alternative to alcohol sponsorship in sport.

The new campaign launched on the weekend, is a partnership between the Australian Government and national sporting organisations to address binge drinking and the influence of alcohol promotion on young Australians.

Chief Executive Officer, Mark Anderson was joined by Hockeyroo, Stacia Joseph at the launch. He stated that hockey was proud to take a leadership role in this important area.

"There is no doubt that sport and our athletes have the power to make a positive impact in our society, he said. Hockey is a sport that has an extremely strong community and a great connection to our broader community. We are sure that our sport will embrace the message in relation to the responsible use of alcohol and seek to reduce the problem of binge drinking, particularly in young people."

The Minister for Sport, Senator Kate Lundy, announced the program and the Australian Government's support for the Community Sponsorship Fund.

"Sport is a really important part of young peoples' lives and it's terrific that our elite athletes have come on board to promote a healthy sporting lifestyle in the lead up to the Olympics," Senator Lundy said.

"This campaign is about tapping into the positive influence sporting clubs have on young people while promoting responsible drinking." The Minister for Mental Health, Mark Butler, said the initiative will be funded under the National Binge Drinking Strategy and was aimed at giving sports an alternative to relying on alcohol sponsorship to support their clubs. "The sponsorship agreements act as an alternative to alcohol sponsorship in sport and do not affect the pourage rights and service of alcohol at stadiums and events. "I've been impressed by the enthusiasm shown by these twelve national sporting organisations to reduce the exposure of young people to alcohol imagery and branding," Mr Butler said.

The Hockey Australia sponsorship will include links to our two national teams, the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras and international matches, including some of our larger tournaments. It will also involve support of the U18 & U21 National Championships.

Source: Fieldhockey.com