Both South Africa and Great Britain had started the Paris Olympic Games with back-to-back defeats as they met on Wednesday morning in the hope of igniting their Olympic challenge. It was 4-1 to Great Britain when they met in Tokyo. Great Britain had the first opportunity to strike, winning a penalty corner, but they failed to execute a shot on target. South Africa had the next chance, also from a penalty corner. South Africa capitalized as Bobbs’ shot was deflected in by Kayla de Waal for her third goal in the tournament. Paris-Gail Isaacs had a shot go narrowly wide as South Africa was well and truly up for the competition. Without further goal-bound opportunities, the opening quarter came to a conclusion with South Africa leading 1-0. The second quarter struggled for true quality. Great Britain had the first opportunity to strike and won a penalty corner. Amy Costello fired in a low, hard shot that deflected off a South African stick and into the back of the net to make it 1-1. South Africa found space in the circle and Ntsopa Mokoena had a rare opportunity to make some magic, but she was crowded out of the play quickly. Great Britain started to have more of the ball but weren’t doing anything of substance with it. South Africa created another entry from industrious work by Dirkie Chamberlain, but Taheera Augousti was unable to create a shot. The score remained 1-1 at the half-time break. The second half saw South Africa produce another exciting counter-attack with Ntsopa Mokoena and Kayla de Waal combining, only for the former to be denied by a ball-and-all save. Great Britain thought they had found the go-ahead goal when they beat Anelle Lloyd, but they struck the upright. A penalty corner was given to Great Britain, but South Africa reviewed and lost the referral. Although they didn’t make the penalty corner count, Great Britain produced a moment of quality to take the lead. An aerial ball into the circle was collected by Hannah French, who finished on the first attempt to make it 2-1. South Africa should have found themselves level when Thati Zulu effected a turnover and set it through to Celia Seerane, whose shot was inches wide of restoring parity. The third quarter ended with Great Britain leading 2-1. Anelle Lloyd made a good low save from a penalty corner early in the final quarter. South Africa looked to try and find a goal back but were not finding the connections needed. Great Britain had another penalty corner, but Erin Christie charged it down to keep the gap to 1 with 5 minutes remaining. South Africa were guilty of giving the ball away too easily when they were looking to counter, making the task a little easier for the 2016 gold medallists. Thati Zulu drove hard into the circle, but her shot was over the top. Despite their best efforts, the African champions were unable to find a goal, and the game ended 2-1 in favor of Great Britain. Edith Molikoe shared her thoughts post-game: “It was another tough game. We really put in our all. It’s a game we wanted to get a result from so we are disappointed with the result. We are excited with the style of hockey we are playing and we hope that we can add the result in the final two games.” Source: sahockey.co.za | July 31, 2024

30 July, 2024 Paris, France – Day 4: Reigning Olympic men’s gold medallists Belgium recorded an astonishing victory over Tokyo 2020 silver medallists Australia, with Tom Boon netting a sensational hat-trick as the Red Lions triumphed 6-2 to move top of Pool B in an absorbing Olympic Games Paris 2024 hockey encounter. On a day that featured only men’s matches, India and Argentina were also winners in Pool B, while Pool A leaders the Netherlands were pegged back by Great Britain as the race for the quarter-finals heated up on a scorching hot day at the Yves-du-Manoir Hockey Stadium. More information on today’s matches can be found below. For additional information about the Pool Rankings and the various splitters, please click here (Appendix 2, art. 2.2). Men’s Pool A The Netherlands (7pts) finished Day 4 sitting at the top of the standings thanks to a 2-2 draw against Great Britain (5pts), who rescued a valuable point thanks to a brilliant late double from Lee Morton. “I don’t score many” said GB’s Morton on his brace. “It’s my first Olympic goal, and I get to score two.” Third placed Great Britain sit one point behind second placed Germany (6pts), who bounced back from Sunday’s loss to Spain in brilliant style. Gonzalo Peillat (2), Christopher Rühr, Justus Weigand and Mats Grambusch all netted in a 5-2 win over South Africa (1pt), who are fifth in the table. “South Africa showed (by drawing against Great Britain on Sunday) that they can compete on the highest level”, said Germany scorer Rühr. “So we had to play our A-game today, and we played really well and scored five goals, which is not even undeserved.” Spain (4pts) ended the day occupying fourth place in Pool A having twice trailed host nation France (6th – 1pt) – who led early thanks to two wonderful goals from Timothee Clement – before a Pepe Cunill’s 51st minute penalty corner earned a 3-3 draw for the Red Sticks. “We obviously wanted to win this match because we would have had six points and would be in a very good position”, said Spain’s Cunill. Although we drew the match, we know that we gained a really important point that gives us more chances to qualify.” Men’s Pool B Belgium (1st – 9pts) produced easily their best performance of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, crushing Australia (3rd – 6pts) 6-2 thanks to a hat-trick from Tom Boon and additional goals from Alexander Hendrickx, Florent van Aubel and Antoine Kina. The Red Lions thrilled the thousands of watching Belgian fans by securing their place in the competition quarter-finals, although Belgian midfielder Victor Wegnez was cautious in his post-match assessment. “I think we got lucky a few times, and while it is a great result it is only a pool match so we don’t want to get too excited”, said Wegnez, a gold medallist from Tokyo 2020. “It was just amazing to play in front of those fans. It was a pretty much a home crowd, which is the beauty of Belgium being so close to Paris.” Earlier in the day, eight times Olympic champions India (2nd – 7pts) – who are yet to face Australia and Belgium – claimed their second win of the competition, seeing off Ireland (6th – 0pts). Harmanpreet Singh scoring both goals in a 2-0 win over the Green Machine, a result which also confirmed their safe passage through to the quarter-finals. “It was a good result for us”, said India striker Sukhjeet Singh. “We played well in a structured way to stop the Ireland team, so we are very happy.” Rio 2016 gold medallists Argentina (4th – 4 pts) battled to their first victory in Paris, with New Zealand (5th – 0pts) being downed by goals from Tomas Domene and Lucas Martinez. Argentina goal-scorer Thomas Domene said: “For me, it had always been a dream to be in the Olympic Games and I always also imagined scoring a goal. So I’m very happy. I had a lot of confidence in the team. This was a very important game for us.” Further information and statistics on all of today’s matches can be found by clicking here. Notable figures attending the Olympic hockey at Yves-du-Manoir on Day 4 included Her Royal Highness Princess Anne of the British Royal Family and Ms Amélie Oudea Castera, the Minister of Sports for France. The Paris 2024 Olympic hockey competition continues on Wednesday 31 July with six women’s and two men’s matches taking place. In women’s Pool B, Argentina (1st – 6pts) and Spain (3rd – 4pts) meet at 10:00 CEST on Pitch 1, with South Africa (5th – 0pts) taking on Great Britain (6th – 0pts) on Pitch 2 in the 10:30 game. The final Pool B match of the day sees Australia (2nd – 6pts) facing USA (4th – 1pt) on Pitch 2 at 13:15. In Pool A, France (6th – 0pts) clash with Germany (4th – 3pts) at 15:45 on Pitch 1 before Belgium (1st – 6pts) play Japan (5th – 0pts) at 17:00 on Pitch 1. Reigning Olympic champions the Netherlands (2nd – 6pts) are in action in the final match of the day, meeting China (3rd – 3pts) at 20:15 on Pitch 2. The two men’s matches take place in Pool A, with second placed Germany (2nd – 6pts) facing table-topper the Netherlands on Pitch 2 at 17:30 before Spain and South Africa, respectively ranked fourth and fifth, go head-to-head at 1945 on Pitch 1. 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. Olympic Games Paris 2024 – Hockey 30 July 2024 – Day 4  Results Men’s Pool A Spain 3-3 France South Africa 1-5 Germany Great Britain 2-2 Netherlands Men’s Pool B  Ireland 0-2 India Argentina 2-0 New Zealand Australia 2-6 Belgium Pool standings overviews Men: click here. Women: click here. Source: FIH.hockey

On a blisteringly hot morning at Stade Yves du Manoir, South Africa faced Germany in their third pool stage match. The two teams had previously met in the 2021 pool stage, where South Africa achieved a remarkable victory. This time, they aimed to deliver another memorable performance as a birthday present for head coach Cheslin Gie. However, the match began unfavorably for South Africa. Gonzalo Peillat fired home at the near post, giving Germany an early lead. South Africa quickly earned a penalty corner but failed to convert, keeping the score at 1-0. Using their referral effectively, they overturned a penalty corner and began creating half chances. In the final minute of the quarter, Germany was awarded a penalty stroke, which Christopher Ruhr converted to double the lead. Justus Weigand made it 3-0 for Germany when he found himself open in the circle and finished past Gowan Jones. South Africa had a good chance, but the shot went just wide. The second period was cagey, with few moments of quality, and Germany maintained their 3-0 lead at halftime. Early in the second half, Gowan Jones made several saves before a brilliant counterattack from South Africa almost resulted in a goal, drawing massive appreciation from the crowd. South Africa then won a penalty corner, which Matt Guise-Brown converted to make it 3-1. However, Germany reestablished their three-goal lead when Gonzalo Peillat scored from a penalty corner, with Calvin Davis unable to save on the line. South Africa won another penalty corner after good work from Bili Ntuli, but Mustapha Cassiem’s shot was saved, and his rebound effort went over the crossbar. The third quarter ended with Germany still holding a three-goal advantage. In the fourth quarter, South Africa had an early penalty corner and Germany received a yellow card for the tackle, but the shot was narrowly wide, keeping the gap at three goals. Gowan Jones made another save to deny Niklas Wellen. With three minutes remaining, an error in South Africa’s defense allowed the ball to land on Mats Grambusch’s stick. The German captain fired brilliantly into the top right corner, making it 5-1. Despite the defeat, South Africa’s focus now shifts to their next game against Spain on Wednesday evening, where they will battle for potential quarter-final places. Head Coach Cheslin Gie: “It wasn’t the result we wanted. We played within ourselves at stages, which is quite frustrating. Germany was very efficient and punished all our errors. We are still looking forward to the games against Spain and France, knowing that two victories will put us in the Quarter Finals.” Source: sahockey.co.za | July 30, 2024

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