For outgoing International Hockey Federation (FIH) chief executive Kelly Fairweather, the answer was simple: “It’s better to leave on a high than get kicked out of the door!”

Many people in all walks of sporting life have suffered the ignominy of the sack and have been turfed out with the minimum of regret. But that fate was never on the cards for Fairweather.

When he first touted the idea of his departure as chief executive to his fellow FIH Executive Board members at a meeting earlier this year, they urged him to stay. Even the South African admits the response to his departure being made public in May has been one of surprise rather than satisfaction.

After all, it comes during a time where hockey seems to be turning the corner following past near-misses and disappointments. The sport was agonisingly close to losing its spot on the Olympic programme back in 2013 before it eventually survived, despite being in the bottom three along with wrestling and modern pentathlon.

There’s little doubt Fairweather has played an integral role in leading the sport out of the abyss to where it stands today. He knows more than most that there is still a considerable amount of work to be done but feels he departs with the FIH in a “good place”.

“Internally I have been very open and I have been considering my options - it’s always something that I have done to look for different challenges,” he told insidethegames during the recent Champions Trophy event on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

“I keep saying to people that there is nothing sinister about this and it’s just my kind of personality.

“A few people have said they are surprised but ultimately it’s a personal decision. We have had this big change in the federation, had the new portfolio approved and we have the plan in place to implement it.

“I’ve had federation colleagues asking why am I leaving as it seems to be going so well and maybe that’s the reason why.

“I really believe it’s like an athlete - if you are not motivated to get up in the morning and go and do that training session and I am starting to feel like I perhaps don’t have the same drive. Perhaps I’m starting to question myself.

“All that groundwork is done so I am confident I am leaving it in a good place.”

The work he has overseen has been extensive, including the implementation of a new governance structure and ensuring the FIH shifted from a “rule-making body to a much more commercial, media-driven hybrid organisation”, but the biggest change as part of what they describe as the “revolution” is the reshuffled competition calendar.

The main victims of the sweeping reforms have been the Hockey World League (HWL) and Champions Trophy events, which have both been axed from the FIH’s international portfolio in favour of a brand new home and away style competition as the organisation continues its attempt to cement itself on the global sporting stage.

While the move, due to come into effect in 2019, makes sense, it has still attracted a fair amount of criticism. The view in the media room at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, which played host to the hockey tournaments at London 2012, was that getting rid of the Champions Trophy in particular was a mistake.

It was among a series other bones of contention emanating from the hockey media. They are crying out for their sport to be given more exposure and more prominence. They feel they are missing out on attracting new followers because it simply isn’t clear where and when people can watch hockey.

Fairweather, who will leave the FIH after the Congress in Dubai in November, understands but defended the removal of the Champions Trophy, an event which has over 40 years of tradition.

“When you move away from something like that it is always tough,” he said.

“We need to meet those objectives to take ourselves to the next level, if we rely on tradition, are we going to take it to the next level? The answer to that question is no.

“We don’t have a consistent and understandable narrative.

“But now, you will be able to follow the tournament over a period of time and then we know there will be a World cup, European Championships and an Olympic Games and that’s when you start to build a following.

“To really become more successful we need to engage other people who are sport fans who like to watch hockey from time to time.

“Through the revolution we have tried to give the fan a chance to be a fan - don’t have a great World Cup and a great Olympic Games with nothing in between because how are you then going to engage those people?”

For now, debate about the competition calendar will have to take a back seat as there is the small matter of an Olympic Games looming large on the horizon.

Rio 2016 has been engulfed with a series of well-documented problems, with a never-ending list of issues threatening to overshadow the wonderful festival of sport we will no doubt he treated to in the home of the Carnival. The view of many, however, is that Zika, security and genuine fears over venue readiness will subside once the first starting gun is fired or once the first whistle is blown.

Hockey has been relatively lucky in its preparations thus far. The main concern for the FIH - a slight delay in delivery of lighting for the venue on the Deodoro Olympic Park - pales into insignificance compared with cycling, whose top brass continue to fret over the state of the Velodrome with just over a month to go until the Opening Ceremony.

The FIH, however, are closely monitoring ticket sales - another constant thorn in the side of the Rio 2016 Organising Committee - largely due to the relatively low-profile the sport has in Brazil, but Fairweather remains upbeat and convinced the exhibition of hockey at this year’s Games will be a positive one.

“I’m pretty confident on the hockey, our lights are a little bit delayed but what impressed me when I was there was that the people on the ground who are working on the venues are incredibly passionate about delivering these Games and that’s what you miss,” he said.

“It’s going to be tough and transport is a challenge. It is not an easy city to navigate just because of the geography of the place.

“We had our test event in November which was really good and since then things have been quietly ticking over but I am pretty confident we will be okay.

“Everyone is hoping that the ticket sales pick up. The prelims are hovering between 30 and 50 per cent and the quarters onwards are 60 to 80 per cent so that’s okay giving the nature of the buying pattern of the Brazilians as more will come later.”

Rio 2016 will be Fairweather’s last involvement in the Olympic Games in his role as FIH chief executive. But don’t expect his love-affair with the event to end just yet.

“My next role will be my last full-time role I think,” the former International Olympic Committee sports director said.

“These things take a lot of time and energy - if you work in sport you have to accept that.

“I doubt that Rio 2016 [will be last involvement in Olympics]. I don’t know, but I would doubt that.

“A leopard can’t change its spots - my passion is sport so I would think my next role would be in mainstream sport or on the periphery.

“I’ll move on just after the Congress, take a bit of a break in December then hopefully move on to a new challenge in the New Year.”

Only time will tell if his choice to step aside was the correct one.