South Africa continued their Olympic journey with a challenging encounter against world number 2, Argentina. This match marked just the second meeting between the two sides in Olympic history, with Argentina winning their previous clash by a large margin in London. Adding to the challenge for South Africa, their most experienced player, Dirkie Chamberlain, was ruled out, and Kayla Swart had the opportunity to emulate her older brother and become an Olympian. The game began poorly for South Africa as Argentina scored early. However, the umpires had missed a foot violation, which was well noticed by Erin Christie, leading to the goal being disallowed. Despite Argentina’s pressure, South Africa’s defense, led by Anelle Lloyd, held strong. Near the end of the first quarter, South Africa earned a penalty corner, and Antonet Louw’s low, hard drag shot found the back of the net, giving South Africa the lead. In the second quarter, Argentina won an early penalty corner, but their deflected effort went wide. Despite South Africa’s defensive efforts, Argentina equalized through Augustina Gorzelany’s near-post penalty corner. Argentina continued to threaten but failed to capitalize on their chances, including another disallowed goal for lifting the ball on the first strike from a penalty corner. South Africa produced an outstanding counter-attack led by Taheera Augousti, which saw Celia Seerane’s cross well saved. Shortly after, Kayla Swart’s lifted cross earned South Africa a penalty corner. From this, Quanita Bobbs fed the ball to Kayla de Waal, who deflected it home, putting South Africa ahead 2-1 at halftime—a surprising result. In the second half, Argentina’s frustration showed as they received two green cards, reducing them to nine players for a minute. Despite this, Argentina saw out the suspensions without conceding. An exciting counter-attack from South Africa almost resulted in a goal, but Mokoena couldn’t control the ball in the circle. Argentina won a penalty corner in the final minute of the third quarter but failed to capitalize, leaving the score 2-1 in South Africa’s favor. Early in the final quarter, South Africa missed a counter-attack opportunity, and Argentina quickly won a penalty corner. Gorzelany executed perfectly into the bottom left corner, leveling the score. With 10 minutes remaining, Argentina believed they could win and secured another penalty corner, with Gorzelany completing her hat-trick. Julieta Jankunas extended Argentina’s lead to 4-2 with a brilliant shot from the right of the circle. Argentina’s increased intensity in the final quarter overwhelmed South Africa, who ultimately had to settle for a two-goal defeat despite a tremendous effort. SA captain on the day Quanita Bobbs reflected on the result: “It was a tough day today. It was really hot. We had a great first half. We set about to get the first outcome and we did exactly that. I think we just ran out of steam in the final quarter unfortunately but overall I am tremendously proud of our team. We know what we need to do in the next games and we will go out and do it!” Source: sahockey.co.za | July 29, 2024

As is the way at a tournament, the games come at you thick and fast. Just over 24 hours after South Africa took on the Netherlands in their Paris 2024 opener, they were back taking on former head coach Paul Revington and his Great Britain charges. Great Britain showed their early attacking intent with a break into the circle, but Gowan Jones made the save to deny any early opportunity. South Africa also denied the first penalty corner for Great Britain with a good post clearance to keep the game scoreless. It was an even match, and South Africa were the next to have an opportunity, winning a penalty corner. That chance was taken by the South Africans. Guise-Browns’ shot was saved, the rebound was saved before it bobbled to the back post, and Andrew Hobson tapped it home to give the Africans the lead, which they held at the end of the first quarter. South Africa created a chance in the second quarter which eventually fell to Keenan Horne, but it was pulled narrowly wide. Great Britain won a penalty corner, but it was brilliantly charged down by Van Tonder and Horne, and South Africa still had the lead. Great Britain were awarded a stroke, but it was correctly overruled. South Africa asked a couple of questions in the concluding minutes of the half, but Sherwood was unable to breach the British backline, and at the half-time break, it was a 1-0 lead for South Africa. Great Britain leveled early in the second half. Gowan Jones saved from the initial penalty corner shot before Phil Roper reacted quickest and fired the ball home. South Africa had a penalty corner chance but were unable to find the goal as a game of very few chances continued to ebb its way forward. Gowan Jones was called on to make a save, but the ball was over the line already, and the third quarter ended with the score still deadlocked at 1-1. Great Britain won a penalty corner in the opening minute of the final quarter when Gowan Jones made a save, but the resultant ball was lifted into a crowd of players. Despite a variation move, South Africa answered the question and remained deadlocked. On the counter, it was the South Africans who took their moment brilliantly. Brad Sherwood received the ball and, with a brilliant touch, created space and fired it into the bottom corner to give South Africa the lead again with 7 minutes remaining. Keenan Horne fired a brilliant reverse stick shot that was heading into the top corner, but it was superbly saved by Ollie Payne. South Africa had to do incredible defensive work as Great Britain surged forward looking for a leveller. Great Britain won a penalty corner with two minutes on the clock, and it was re-awarded, adding to the tension. GB got the equalizer with 90 seconds still to play. Neither side found a winner and ultimately had to settle for a share of the points. SA Goal scorer Brad Sherwood: “I am obviously chuffed to be an Olympic goal scorer, but I’m really disappointed that we weren’t able to get the result. We put in a tremendous effort, and we frustrated them. We are South African; we will be back for the next game, of course!” Source: sahockey.co.za | July 28, 2024

Team South Africa began their women’s Olympic journey against long-time Southern Hemisphere rivals Australia on Sunday afternoon in Paris. The South Africans knew the challenge that lay ahead, facing the world number 5, a team they had never scored against in Olympic history, despite three previous meetings. After successfully appealing an early penalty corner, the South Africans created the best opportunity when they countered superbly and almost tapped in at the back post through Ongeziwe Mali. South Africa then produced a brilliant move from a free hit, with Celia Seerane crossing for Dirkie Chamberlain, whose goal-bound deflection was sensationally stopped by Jocelyn Bartram. The balance of play was in favour of the South Africans, and they were duly rewarded as Kristen Paton fed Kayla de Waal, who, after rounding Bartram, put it into the back of the net to give the Africans the lead. This was the first goal a South African woman had scored against Australia at the Olympics. Australia had their first chance of the quarter at the hooter, but Anelle Lloyd made the save to take SA into a 1-0 lead at the first break. Australia must have received a rollicking at the first interval as they leveled matters just 15 seconds into the second quarter. A good run down the left saw Grace Stewart get the deflection just ahead of Anelle Lloyd to restore parity. Australia won the game’s opening penalty corner, but it was easily defended. Australia broke again with a one-on-one opportunity, but it was brilliantly saved by Lloyd with her stick to deny the Hockeyroos in a quarter where they were asking questions. Half-time in Paris ended 1-1. The second half started with a successful referral for the South Africans, overturning a penalty corner. Thati Zulu produced a wonderful tackle to deny an Australian attack, much to the delight of the crowd, as South Africa won a penalty corner up the other end. Despite two re-awards, the South Africans were unable to make it count and very quickly found themselves defending a penalty corner. Australia made it count from the penalty corner with a deflected effort into the roof from Tatum Stewart to give Australia the lead for the first time. Thati Zulu then created her own chance with tenacity but saw it saved well at the near post, marking the last meaningful chance of the quarter, with 15 minutes remaining. It was a cagey final quarter, with neither team wanting to make a mistake in the quest for points. Australia were not creating anything of substance, but a yellow card for the South Africans meant they would have to cope with a player short in the final exchanges. Nevertheless, the South Africans continued to press for an equalizer. Despite a tremendous effort from the team, they were unable to create the game-defining moment and, unfortunately, had to settle for an opening game defeat. Post game thoughts from SA Captain Erin Christie: “We are disappointed to not have earned the result. We fought hard and put in a massive performance. We put out a marker and we competed with a very good side. I am very proud of my team and we will go work on the points that we need to ahead of the next game.” That next game is against Argentina on Monday at 17:30. Source: sahockey.co.za | 28th July, 2024

28 Jul, 2024 True to its resolute policy for gender equality, inclusion and diversity, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) is delighted to announce that, for the first time in its Olympic history, mixed gender on-field umpiring teams will be officiating in some matches at the Paris 2024 Olympic hockey tournaments. Whilst mixed gender umpiring has become a regular occurrence at FIH events in recent years, this had not been the case at previous Olympic Games. This welcomed move is very timely as Paris 2024 will be the very first gender equal Olympic Games across all sports. FIH President Tayyab Ikram said: “Gender equality is anchored into hockey’s DNA, and FIH won’t miss any opportunity to promote it. With the introduction of mixed gender on field umpiring at the Olympics, FIH is showcasing once more its determination towards a more gender equal sport, and society. I would like to congratulate and thank again all umpires that have been selected for these Olympic Games. They have all our support, and I wish them a wonderful Olympic experience!”. The umpiring team in Paris has a 50/50 gender split, part of a similarly equal split across the hockey International Technical Official team participating at the Games. The full list of Officials for the Paris 2024 Olympics hockey tournaments is available here. The hockey competitions at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 take place from Saturday 27 July to Friday 9 August. Both the men’s and women’s competitions feature 12 teams, split into two pools of six ahead of quarter-finals, semi-finals and medal matches. For more information about the hockey competitions at Paris 2024, visit Olympics.Hockey. Source: FIH.hockey

South Africa embarked on their Paris Olympic journey with an exhilarating opening encounter against the world number 1, the Netherlands, at the magnificent Yves du Manoir Stadium. Despite a brief delay due to a spider cam malfunction, the game commenced with high energy and intensity. The match started off with an early opportunity for the Dutch to open the scoring from a penalty stroke, which Jip Janssen converted effortlessly. Unfazed, the South African team quickly regained composure and leveled the score through a brilliantly executed finish from Mustapha Cassiem. The Netherlands, however, regained their lead with a scrappy goal during a period when South Africa was a player short, ending the first quarter at 2-1. Early in the second quarter, the Netherlands extended their lead with a swift counterattack finished by Tjep Hoedemakers. South Africa’s Mustapha Cassiem set up Tevin Kok for a potential comeback, but Dutch goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak made a spectacular save. South Africa, undeterred, earned a penalty corner, which was well-defended by the Dutch. Despite Gowan Jones making a crucial save from a Dutch penalty corner, Jip Janssen scored again just before halftime, putting the score at 4-1. The second half began with Duco Telgenkamp scoring for the Netherlands, making it 5-1. South Africa responded with a moment of sublime quality when Ryan Julius delivered a brilliant through ball to Tevin Kok, who finished with a dream-like goal. South Africa continued to push, earning another penalty corner, which led to a penalty stroke. Matt Guise-Brown stepped up and confidently reduced the deficit to 5-3, setting the stage for an exciting final quarter. In the final quarter, an early penalty corner was well-saved by Blaak, keeping the Dutch lead intact. South Africa continued to create opportunities, much to the delight of the enthusiastic crowd. Calvin Davis showcased his defensive prowess with several key tackles. Despite their best efforts, including another excellent stop by Blaak to deny Guise-Brown from a penalty corner, the match concluded with the Netherlands holding a 5-3 lead. Mustapha Cassiem, the scorer of South Africa’s opening goal, shared his thoughts after the game: “It was a tough game against the world number one, but we don’t have too much time to linger on things as we have a short turnaround to play Great Britain on Sunday. We will always offer a threat from the attacking side of things, but we need to minimize the errors more.” South Africa’s next challenge is against Great Britain at 20:15 on Sunday. The team remains optimistic and determined to build on their strong performance against the top-ranked Dutch. Source: sahockey.co.za | July 27, 2024

26 Jul, 2024 The opening day of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 promises to be an absolutely thrilling affair, with all 12 men’s teams in action and two high-profile fixtures in the women’s competition set to be played in front of packed crowds at the magnificent Yves-du-Manoir Hockey Stadium. The first six matches of the Paris 2024 Olympic hockey competition all take place in the men’s tournament, the action the beginning at 10:00 (CEST) with a mouthwatering clash between Pool A rivals Great Britain and Spain on Pitch 1. While Great Britain enter the competition in confident mood and will be determined to get their quest for Olympic gold off to a flying start, Spain’s Red Sticks know that they also have a squad capable of going deep into this tournament. At 10:30 on Pitch 2, reigning Olympic champions Belgium begin their title defence against Ireland, a team that remarkably claimed two victories over the Red Lions in this season’s FIH Hockey Pro League, in Pool B. The 12:45 match on Pitch 1 sees a Pool A battle between the reigning European and African continental champions as two-time Olympic champions the Netherlands meet South Africa. One of the most eye-catching fixtures of the opening day takes place on pitch 2 at 13:15, as Tokyo 2020 silver medallists and FIH Hockey Pro League winners Australia take on Pool B challengers Argentina, the Olympic gold medallists from Rio 2016. The evening session begins at 1700 with a potentially epic Pool A encounter as home favourites France face a monumental clash against Germany, the reigning world champions and four times Olympic gold medallists, on Pitch 1. While Germany will be seen by many as favourites, the thousands of French fans packed into Yves-du-Manoir will create an electric atmosphere in support of the hosts. The final men’s match of the day takes place on Pitch 2 at 17:30, with eight times Olympic gold medallists and Tokyo bronze medal winners India going head-to-head with 1976 Olympic champions New Zealand. A superb opening day of action is topped off by the first matches of the women’s competition. A Pool B Pan-American derby match between Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallists Argentina and USA takes place on Pitch 1 at 1945, while reigning Olympic, World, European and FIH Hockey Pro League champions the Netherlands face hosts France, a Pool A match taking place on Pitch 2 at 20:15. Some fascinating Olympic goalscoring statistics for you. The Netherlands women and India men are the highest scoring teams in Olympic hockey history. The Oranje have netted 166 goals in the ten Games in which they have competed, 20 more than the 146 netted by second placed Australia. India’s 452 sees them top the men’s table ahead of Australia, who have registered 330 goals in Olympic competition. These and more statistics can be found on the FIH Data Hub by clicking here. The hockey competitions at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 take place from Saturday 27 July to Friday 9 August. Both the men’s and women’s competitions feature 12 teams, split into two pools of six ahead of quarter-finals, semi-finals and medal matches. For more information about the hockey competitions at Paris 2024, visit Olympics.Hockey. #Hockey #Paris2024 Source: FIH.hockey

25 Jul, 2024 As a further major measure to promote gender equality, diversity and inclusion, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has added portrayal guidelines – inspired by the IOC portrayal guidelines and shared them with the global hockey community. These guidelines shall act as a reference and guide for action for all hockey stakeholders in their coverage of the sport. They are essential because sports coverage plays an important role in shaping gender norms and stereotypes, and promoting new positive, diverse role models. Commenting on the guidelines, FIH President Tayyab Ikram said: “First, I would like to express our gratitude to the IOC for having paved the way in this really essential matter. Then, my thanks also go to all those involved in making these guidelines a reality for hockey as well – in particular, the FIH Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and its Chair, Marijke Fleuren. These guidelines confirm how much inclusivity is a crucial principle for hockey. No matter the gender, the age, the physical or intellectual ability, the religion, the sexual orientation, the ethnic or social background, everyone is welcome in our sport!”. Portrayal is defined as the language (words and expressions), images and voices used, the quality and quantity of coverage and the prominence given, when depicting individuals or groups in all communications channels and platforms. The FIH portrayal guidelines are based on the following main principles: Favouring gender equal, diverse and inclusive representation of the hockey community; Avoiding bias or negative stereotypes on gender and diversity; Generating new strong, positive, and diverse role models. They provide clear advice when it comes to language, images and voices in particular. They also include a fair, inclusive and non-discriminatory portrayal of transgender sportspeople and athletes with sex variations, with FIH advocating for gender equality at all levels of hockey participation across the globe, including opportunities for transgender athletes to compete in the sport. Whilst hockey is equal in many aspects globally – equal participation of men and women players around the world, mixed-gender umpiring, identical competitions formats and schedules, identical prize money, broadcasting rights agreements stipulating equal coverage – the FIH portrayal guidelines enable hockey to go one step further and be even more inclusive than ever before. #Hockey Source: FIH.hockey

25 Jul, 2024 The 12 best teams (men’s and women’s) from around the world are converging in Paris as we countdown to the final few days till the start of the Hockey competition at the Olympic Games Paris 2024! Each team comes with the aim of standing on the Olympic podium, while only one can claim the gold medal at the end of the Games. The first obstacle for all teams in the event come in the form of their pool opponents. The 12 teams have been split into two pools of 6 teams each, with the top four teams from each pool qualifying for the quarterfinals. In today’s preview, meet the teams in Pool B of the men’s competition, and find out the unique playing styles they will bring to Paris. Belgium With masses of experience, quality and self-belief, reigning Olympic champions Belgium will be considered amongst the favourites for the men’s gold medal at Paris 2024. Belgium’s rise from European also-rans to the summit of global hockey has been one of the standout hockey stories of the past two decades. Between 2018 and 2022, the Red Lions won every major title on offer, including the World Cup (2018), Olympic Games (2021), European Championship (2019) and FIH Hockey Pro League (2020-21). They came within a shoot-out of successfully defending their World title at the FIH Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023, with Germany winning the one-on-ones 5-4 after a thrilling final finished 3-3. Striker Tom Boon excelled at that event, netting eight times including in the quarter final, semi-final and a 59th minute equaliser in the gold medal game to force the shoot-out. A small measure of revenge was achieved in August 2023 when Belgium defeated Germany to seal bronze at the EuroHockey Championships 2023, with Nelson Onana and Florent van Aubel helping the team to a 2-0 win over the hosts nation in Mönchengladbach. In Vincent Vanasch and Loic Van Doren they have two world class goalkeepers, while Arthur Van Doren, Victor Wegnez, Felix Denayer, Van Aubel, Arthur de Sloover, penalty corner goal machine Alexander Hendrickx and legendary midfielder John-John Dohmen – a man with a world record 475 international caps having surpassed Netherlands icon Teun de Nooijer’s mark of 453 in 2023 – are all extraordinary talents. The team is coached by Dutchman Michel van den Heuvel, who stepped up from assistant coach in 2021 following New Zealander Shane McLeod’s decision to step away after guiding the team to the Olympic gold at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Games. McLeod will be part of van den Heuvel’s team at Paris 2024, being one of three assistant coaches. The team secured their place at Paris 2024 with first place finish at the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier event in Valencia (ESP), winning all five of their matches. Tom Boon was instrumental in that success, finishing as competition top scorer (7) and being named player of the tournament. Head Coach Michel van de Heuvel: “We are looking forward to defending our title as Olympic Champions in Paris. It’s an incredibly close competition this time around and whilst we have the experience and quality to be successful, I believe these Olympics will be one of the most competitive tournaments we have ever seen.” India After years of sliding down the FIH World Rankings which culminated in failure to qualify for the Olympic Games Beijing 2008 – a competition that they had won a record eight times – India’s men are back at the top table of the global game. A bronze medal at the delayed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 was a landmark moment for the team, following it with a third-place finish in the 2021-22 edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League. While a ninth-place finish on home soil at the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 was certainly far below expectations, India bounced back by taking fourth place in the 2022-23 FIH Hockey Pro League season before storming to glory at last year’s Asian Games competition in Hangzhou (CHN), guaranteeing their participation in the Olympic Games Paris 2024. India were 5-1 winners in the competition final against Japan, with team captain Harmanpreet Singh scoring twice. Harmanpreet is very much India’s star man, being a fabulous defender and one of the best drag flickers in the game. However, he is far from being their only exceptional talent, with two-time FIH Hockey Stars Goalkeeper of the Year PR Sreejesh, classy midfielder Manpreet Singh, striker Mandeep Singh and dazzling midfielder Hardik Singh, the current FIH Hockey Stars men’s Player of the Year all capable of producing magical moments. The team is coached by former South Africa international and triple Olympian Craig Fulton, who has held coaching roles with the national teams of Ireland, Belgium and his home nation. Team Captain Harmanpreet Singh: “After 44 long years, the Indian Hockey Team is travelling to the Olympic Games as a reigning medallist, and I am happy to lead this unit. I know there are a lot of expectations of us from back home, and we are ready to deliver on our promises. Our team has shown tremendous growth and resilience in recent years. As we gear up for Paris 2024, we’re focused on doing our best to change the color of the medal, and represent India with pride. We’re hungry for success and determined to bring glory to our nation on the Olympic stage.” Australia After suffering a heartbreaking shoot-out defeat at the hands of Belgium in the Tokyo 2020 gold medal match three years ago, Australia will be determined to stand atop of the podium at Paris 2024. Judging by their excellent recent form in the FIH Hockey Pro League, they have every chance of adding a second Olympic gold medal to that won so famously by Jamie Dwyer and co. at Athens 2004 some 20 years ago. In June the mighty Kookaburras, coached by legendary Australia striker Colin Batch, claimed their first Pro League title since 2019 by winning ten of their 16

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24 Jul, 2024 The 12 best teams (men’s and women’s) from around the world are converging in Paris as we countdown to the final few days till the start of the Hockey competition at the Olympic Games Paris 2024! Each team comes with the aim of standing on the Olympic podium, while only one can claim the gold medal at the end of the Games. The first obstacle for all teams in the event come in the form of their pool opponents. The 12 teams have been split into two pools of 6 teams each, with the top four teams from each pool qualifying for the quarterfinals. In today’s preview, meet the teams in Pool B of the women’s competition, and find out the unique playing styles they will bring to Paris. Australia Between 1994 and 2000, Australia were by far and away the best team on the planet, claiming two Olympic gold medals and two World Cups as the team coached by Ric Charlesworth and inspired by the attacking brilliance of Katrina Powell, the current head coach, and Alyson Annan, now in charge of Olympic rivals China – ruled the hockey world. With three Olympic titles and top six finishes at every Games since debuting at Los Angeles 1984, the Hockeyroos are always a dangerous side on this greatest of sporting stages. Having achieved a bronze medal at the 2022 FIH Women’s World Cup and booked their Olympic ticket by winning the Oceania Cup 2023, Powell’s Australia will believe that they can achieve big things at Paris 2024. The team recorded some notable results in the lead up to the Games, including FIH Hockey Pro League victories over Argentina and Great Britain, the respective silver and bronze medallists at the delayed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The co-captaincy team of Brooke Peris, Kaitlin Nobbs, Jane Claxton, and Grace Stewart are all outstanding performers for the Aussies, with Mariah Williams, rising star Amy Lawton and goalkeeper Jocelyn Bartram all capable of producing match-winning contributions to the cause. Head Coach Katrina Powell: “Our squad is in a really good space at the moment. They’re unified and excited to go. We talk about the history and legacy and how much that intensifies once you get to an Olympics and they’re super proud to be representing the Hockeyroos. We tested ourselves with high-quality matches in Australia against Australia A. They are always tough and I’m impressed with the consistency in our performances leading into these Games. The combination of this group and the strengths within it are our biggest advantage heading into Paris. There are different strengths with each of the players and they offset and balance each other out nicely.” Argentina ‘Las Leonas’ (The Lionesses) have long been considered as one of the world’s most fearsome attacking teams and are undisputedly a true powerhouse of the game. The 14 times Pan American continental champions have achieved remarkable things on the global stage, winning two World Cups, seven Champions Trophy titles and one FIH Hockey Pro League. Despite all this success, their quest for Olympic gold is still ongoing. While the big prize has so far eluded them, their Olympic record is still hugely impressive, claiming three silver and two bronze medals from their eight Olympic campaigns. They confirmed a place at a ninth Olympic Games thanks to a gold medal at the Pan American Games 2023 in Santiago (CHI), defeating Uruguay, Trinidad & Tobago, Canada and USA twice, both in the pool phase and gold medal match. Drag-flicking defender Agustina Gorzelany scored 11 times in five matches, including the opener in the title match against the Americans before Eugenia Trinchinetti’s field goal sealed a 2-1 victory. Argentina arrive at Paris 2024 in excellent form, finishing third in the 2023-24 edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League. The team recorded seven wins and a drawing in last eight matches, results which will have delighted head coach Fernando Ferrara – who represented Argentina’s men at the Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games – ahead of his team’s shot at Olympic glory. With a squad blessed with masses of talent such as livewire attacker Maria Granatto, vastly experienced team captain Rocio Sanchez, rising defensive star Valentina Raposo and prolific penalty corner ace Gorzelany, Argentina are genuine title contenders. Head Coach Fernando Ferrara: “We are going to try to transfer everything we trained and everything we did in this process to the field, with calm and confidence, and from there we hope to get the results.  The girls are close and support each other a lot, that is the most important plus of all, beyond the technical and tactical part and the quality of play that they have, that is what can make the difference. What we are sure of is that we will give our 110 percent to try to return to Argentina with the best.” Great Britain Having secured Olympic gold at Rio 2016 and bronze at both London 2012 and Tokyo 2020, Great Britain’s women have an outstanding recent Olympic history and will be targeting a fourth successive podium finish at Paris 2024. Their form ahead of the Games has been somewhat mixed, with a seventh-place finish in the 2023-24 season of the FIH Hockey Pro League being far below their own very high expectations. While GB won just three of their 16 Pro League matches, head coach David Ralph used the competition to look at 28 different players ahead of naming his team for Paris. Thirteen of the squad that secured the Olympic ticket at January’s FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier in Valencia (ESP) – where they defeated Ireland 2-1 in the bronze medal match – have been selected for this year’s Olympiad. These include team captain Hollie Pearne-Webb and Laura Roper (née Unsworth), both Olympic gold medallists from Rio 2016 and two of the finest defenders around. Lily Owsley, who also won gold in Rio, and Hannah French (née Martin) are both huge attacking threats thanks to their electrifying

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23 Jul, 2024 The 12 best teams (men’s and women’s) from around the world are converging in Paris as we countdown to the final few days till the start of the Hockey competition at the Olympic Games Paris 2024! Each team comes with the aim of standing on the Olympic podium, while only one can claim the gold medal at the end of the Games. The first obstacle for all teams in the event come in the form of their pool opponents. The 12 teams have been split into two pools of 6 teams each, with the top four teams from each pool qualifying for the quarterfinals. In today’s preview, meet the teams in Pool A of the men’s competition, and find out the unique playing styles they will bring to Paris. Netherlands The Netherlands boasts an impressive Olympic track record, having secured gold at the Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 Games, along with four silver and three bronze medals. However, after finishing sixth at the postponed Tokyo 2020 Games – their worst Olympic performance since Los Angeles 1984, where they also placed sixth – the team is determined to remind everyone of their exceptional abilities. Under the guidance of head coach Jeroen Delmee, the celebrated Dutch defender and two-time Olympic gold medallist, the Netherlands have achieved a remarkable consistency in their performance. Since taking charge in late 2021, Delmee has infused the Oranje squad with fresh talent, a bold move that has yielded significant rewards. The team has secured two first-place finishes and one second-place finish in the last three FIH Hockey Pro League seasons, won a World Cup bronze medal in India in early 2023, and claimed their seventh European title by triumphing in the EuroHockey Championships 2023 in Mönchengladbach, Germany, securing their ticket to Paris 2024 in the process. The Netherlands squad selected by Delmee for Paris 2024 has all the attributes needed to be considered serious title contenders. Pirmin Blaak, the FIH Hockey Stars Goalkeeper of the Year for 2023, is without question one of the finest shotstoppers in world hockey, while the skill and creativity of Thierry Brinkman, Jorrit Croon and Seve Van Ass will be potent weapons. Having registered 15 goals in 15 FIH Hockey Pro League matches this season, penalty corner expert Jip Janssen is a prized asset capable of producing match winning moments. Head Coach Jeroen Delmee: “As the reigning European champions, we are of course one of the contenders for an Olympic medal. The field of participants is extremely strong. We have done everything we can to compete for the prizes. We can’t wait to show the world what we are capable of.” Germany With four Olympic gold medals, three World Cup wins and eight European titles, Germany are one of hockey’s true powerhouse nations. Tactically astute and technically superb, Die Honamas have a habit of hitting form ahead of Olympic Games and World Cups, a fact proven by their sensational triumph at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023, played on Indian soil in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. Their performances in India were hugely impressive, with the team coached by master tactician André Henning – named Coach of the Year in the 2023 FIH Hockey Stars Awards – emerging unbeaten from a pool containing 2018 world champions and reigning Olympic gold medallists Belgium as well as Japan and Korea before producing a string of brilliant performances in the knock-out stages. Their semi-final clash against Oceania giants Australia will live long in the memory, as penalty corner weapon Gonzalo Peillat and rapid attacker Niklas Wellen scored twice in the final 90 seconds give Germany a stunning 4-3 triumph. Wellen and Peillat – the man who fired Argentina to Olympic gold at Rio 2016 – were again on target in the gold medal match against Belgium, as the two European giants played out a wonderful 3-3 draw before Germany snatched their third World Cup crown in a drama-filled shoot-out. Wellen and Peillat are far from being the only superstars in the Germany squad, with brilliant attacker Christopher Rühr, captain Mats Grambusch and Jean-Paul Danneberg – shortlisted for the FIH Hockey Stars Goalkeeper of the Year 2023 award –just some of the many world class players they have at their disposal. At the delayed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, a narrow defeat at the hands of India in the bronze medal match saw Germany miss out on a podium finish for the first time since Sydney 2000, something they will be keen to rectify at Paris 2024. Head Coach André Henning: “This could be the closest men’s hockey competition at the Olympic Games ever. Among the top 6 teams in the world, pretty much every team has beaten the others recently. So from the quarter-finals onwards, there will be completely open duels at eye level. We know our strengths and know that on a good day we can beat all our rivals. A medal is definitely within our reach – even gold. As you know, I prefer to focus on action goals. If we want to finish on the podium, we have to take control of what we can control so that we can deliver the best performance under the greatest pressure.” Great Britain It has been 36 years since Great Britain’s men last medalled at an Olympic Games, but there is a genuine sense of optimism that their barren run since winning gold at Seoul 1988 could finally end in Paris this year. Team GB have secured podium finishes in the last two editions of the elite FIH Hockey Pro League, being runners up on 2022-23 and finishing third in 2023-24, while four successive wins at the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers, played in Muscat (OMA) in January, sealed their ticket to Paris before suffering a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Germany in the competition final. Ace striker Sam Ward netted eight times in Muscat to finish as the tournament’s top scorer, his tally being twice as many as his nearest rivals

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