Nick Martyn – Executive Director of Underwater Hockey Australia
Bryce chats to Nick Martyn, the executive director of Underwater Hockey Australia, about how the niche sport made its way into Australian culture.
Underwater Hockey was first played in 1954, Southsea, England and has been played in Australia since 1966. Also known as Octopush (mainly in England). Teams compete to manoeuvre a puck across the bottom of a swimming pool and get it in the opposing team’s goal.
Underwater Hockey Australia was founded on 1 January 1975. Underwater Hockey Australia (UHA) is the peak body for the sport of Underwater Hockey in Australia. The UHA is a commission of the Australian Underwater Federation (AUF), which is accredited by the Australian Sports Commission and the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS).
The first Australian Underwater Hockey Championships was held in 1975 at Margaret River, Western Australia as part of the Australian Underwater Championships. As of September 2013, Australia has been very successful at the international level. Finishing in the top three 43 times including being the world champion in various divisions 23 times out of 53 appearances at 17 international events.
