London 2012 Olympics: International Hockey Federation have no cause for concern over Riverbank Arena pitch "Every Olympics it's the same thing, they put in new surfaces and don't wear them in before we play," he said. We've lost Begbie and it's heart-breaking for him. Locog have defended their preparations insisting they had adhered to the FIH's specifications, and for now it seems the sport's international governing body sees no cause for concern. "We don't feel there is any need to take action," said FIH Technical director, Roger Webb. We will monitor things and if we do have concerns we would certainly come back but at this stage performance is meeting requirements. No elements of ball or friction are at the extreme end of requirements. With time it [the pitch] will become a little bit more comfortable and a little faster but still within the parameters that we have set. We're in regular contact with Locog and if we do have concerns we would certainly come back. Adamant everything has been carried out as it should have been, James Bulley, the Locog head of venues and infrastructure, said: "We put down the hockey field of play a year before the Olympic competition starts. Before even the stands were built we've had players playing on that field. So it's had it's time to bed in properly. It's followed exactly the FIH requirements in terms of the bedding-in process, the specification. So that's the appropriate way to manage and build the facility. While the 80,000-seat Olympic stadium will go in to lock-down from May 12 until the Games open on July 27, Bulley said the hockey pitch would be played on right up to the start of competition. Meanwhile Australian player Edward Ockenden said that he liked the 16,000 seat facility. It's a world class venue. We don't have many hockey venues like this around the world," said the bronze medallist from Beijing in 2008. We've put a blue pitch in Perth where we train back home. Now, once you've played on it a few times, it doesn't make too much of a difference.