Last week in international hockey / 2024-07-02

Last week in international hockey

• They were unbeaten for 46 games

• Harte and O’Donoghue selected for their 2nd Olympic Games

• Sreejesh and Manpreet will play their fourth Olympics for India

• German women qualify for the World Cup

• Ockenden is like a good bottle of red wine

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They were unbeaten for 46 games

The Belgian women have beaten the Dutch 1-2 yesterday. Anybody beating the Dutch is noteworthy. They were unbeaten for an incredible series of 46 games! It also shows the rise of the Belgian women. They have become medal contenders in recent times.

Stephanie Vanden Borre (22) scores the winner - Credits worldsportpics

The FIH Pro League, at least for me, still is nothing more than an expensive series of practice games. It has less value compared to the major events. So you will seldom see a post about a single PL game here. But when a team loses for the first time after a series of 46 games unbeaten, the game has earned a mention 😉

The Dutch wouldn’t be the Dutch - especially coach Paul van Ass - if they wouldn’t think the only reason for this loss was the fact they did not play to their abilities.

‘Our individual level was very low. We made a lot of technical mistakes. Didn't get into the rhythm at all. From minute one to minute sixty', Van Ass analyzes his team shortly after the disappointment with the Belgians. (…) ‘Maybe we have now given the Belgians hope. You always do that when you lose. Then opponents think they are getting closer.’ (source: hockey.nl)

Whatever you think of this, fact remains the Dutch are the biggest favourite for gold in Paris, when it really matters. But as you can see in the video below they’re not unbeatable 😉

Harte and O’Donoghue selected for their 2nd Olympic Games

Mark Tumilty, head coach for the Irish men, announced his selection for Paris last Monday.

Murray, Harte & co - Credits: worldsportpics

Captained by Sean Murray the Irish team clinched one of the coveted places at the Qualifier in Valencia earlier this year. Having narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics, the Irish last competed at the Rio Olympics, with two of that squad returning for the Paris Olympics, goalkeeper David Harte and Shane O’Donoghue.