AUSTRALIA'S Olympic hockey players have lost the potential for lucrative bonuses for Rio glory due to the -financial turmoil of a major sponsor. 
Only weeks out from Rio, sponsor The Project Group has had to withdraw its $200,000 sponsorship of Hockey Australia. The Project Group had also promised each member of the 16-player squads a bonus, ranging from $10,000 for a gold medal in Rio down to $5000 for bronze.
Australia's men are the most dominant team in world hockey, while the women's side last month won bronze at London's Champions Trophy.
Hockey Australia chief executive Cameron Vale yesterday put out a -nationwide call for a white knight to step in to help Australia's elite players.
The funding also helped turn Hockey Australia into a truly equal sport. The men's and women's teams are paid the same wages and given identical conditions.
The men have a higher level of funding given their dominant past two years, but sponsorship allows Hockey Australia to fund a level playing field.The women are paid on average between $40,000 to $60,000 per player, so a potential $10,000 bonus represents a huge carrot.