The development of hockey does not depend on talent alone. It also depends on access to high-quality facilities, consistent playing conditions and surfaces that support the way the modern game is played.

That shared understanding forms the foundation of the new collaboration between TenCate and Hockey Spain. As Official Technical Sponsor of the Royal Spanish Hockey Federation (RFEH), TenCate will support the continued development of hockey in Spain through expertise in sports surfaces, player-focused innovation and long-term infrastructure thinking.

The partnership brings together two organisations with a similar perspective on progress in sport: not only focused on elite performance, but also on participation, accessibility and creating the right conditions for future generations of players.

Across Europe, hockey continues to grow. But sustainable growth requires more than enthusiasm for the sport itself. It requires places to train, compete and develop. One of the shared ambitions within this partnership is therefore clear: helping create more opportunities to play hockey in Spain. New facilities are essential for increasing participation levels, supporting clubs and enabling development pathways for players at every level of the game.

For TenCate, that ambition connects directly to decades of experience in hockey surfaces and sports infrastructure.

Founded more than 300 years ago, TenCate has been involved in the development of synthetic turf systems since the early days of the industry. Today, the company combines global manufacturing capabilities with research, testing and field validation through the Center for Turf Innovation (CTI).

Modern hockey places increasingly complex demands on sports surfaces. The interaction between athlete and surface influences movement, ball behaviour, comfort and consistency throughout the season. That is why research into player-surface interaction has become a central part of turf development.

At CTI, this work combines biomechanics, player feedback, motion analysis and real-world testing with athletes and clubs. The goal is not simply to meet standards, but to better understand how surfaces behave during actual play situations. That approach matches what Hockey Spain is working towards: raising the quality of the sport through better infrastructure, broader access and a consistent focus on player development.

Both organisations share a concrete focus on what the sport needs next: more facilities, better surfaces and clearer pathways for players moving through the game at club and national level.

Hockey has always been a sport built around collective effort. The same applies to the development of sports infrastructure. Progress comes through collaboration between federations, clubs, athletes, coaches, grounds teams and technology partners. This partnership reflects that shared approach.

The future of hockey will not only be shaped by what happens during matches, but also by the quality and availability of the environments in which players train, develop and compete every day. The collaboration between TenCate and Hockey Spain is built around that idea: combining experience in surface technology with a sustained commitment to the growth of the sport in Spain. Not as a short-term sponsorship, but as a partnership with a clear purpose: giving more players access to the surfaces and facilities the modern game demands.