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Today, the focus is on men’s Pool B at the Olympic Games, here’s a look at the teams taking part in Paris with the action getting under way this weekend.
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 matches and recording notable victories over the likes of Germany, India, the Netherlands, Spain and Great Britain. Striker Blake Govers scored 12 times in 12 Pro League matches with eight penalty corners, three field goals and one penalty stroke.
Australia secured their ticket to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 by winning the 2023 Oceania Cup, claiming a 2-1 series victory over hosts New Zealand in Whangarei. It was Australia’s 12th continental championship title, one that will give world class talents such as Govers, Aran Zelewski, Eddie Ockenden, Jake Whetton and Tim Brand the chance to surpass Tokyo silver with gold in Paris.
Head Coach Colin Batch: “We’ve learnt a lot this year and developed our game and found solutions through difficult and challenging situations. We expect the tournament to be close and we will use our experience and belief to perform well. While we are an experienced team and will draw on that, we also want to embrace and enjoy the challenge of performing at the Olympics. We are excited to be playing in Paris and we will carry that mindset through each game.”
Argentina
The Olympic champions from Rio 2016 are Pan American hockey’s most potent force, having been crowned continental champions on 15 separate occasions.
Their most recent continental title came last November at the Pan American Games 2023 in Santiago, Chile, where Los Leones won all five of their matches, scoring a remarkable 40 goals and conceding just three. Tomas Domene claimed a 14-goal haul in the competition, scoring nine penalty corners and five times from open play. The team coached by Mariano Ronconi sealed their berth at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 with a 3-1 win over host nation Chile, with Lucas Martinez (2) and Agustin Bugallo getting the all-important goals.
Argentina arrive in Paris on the back of a very solid FIH Hockey Pro League campaign, finishing in fourth position by claiming 29 points from their 16 matches. In addition to wins against Great Britain, Spain and Ireland, stunning triumphs against Belgium and Australia –both finalists at the delayed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – suggests that Argentina can mount a serious title challenge at Paris 2024. The goals of Tomas Domene, who in addition to his scoring exploits in Santiago also netted nine times in 16 FIH Hockey Pro League matches, will help their cause, while Maico Casella, Nicolas della Torre and Lucas Martinez are also capable of making an impact on the scoreboard.
Captain Matias Rey and attacking midfielder Agustin Mazzilli bring a wealth of experience to this talented group with both having been part of the team that claimed Olympic gold at Rio 2016.
Head Coach Mariano Ronconi: “We are at a good level and we are aiming high but we understand that men’s field hockey is very even, anything can happen. The preparation was very positive and we are very excited, at the same time, working on anxiety. We are very grateful and pleased, it is a group that worked very hard to achieve great goals.”
New Zealand
New Zealand will make their 14th Olympic appearance at Paris 2024, with the gold medallists from Montreal 1976 having secured qualification at the expense of four times Olympic champions Pakistan.
After suffering semi-final defeats at the 2024 FIH Olympic Qualifier in Muscat (OMA), the Black Sticks and Green Shirts faced each other in a winner takes all 3-4 play-off game. Trailing 2-1 with just eight minutes remaining, goals from Hugo Inglis and Scott Boyde – his second of the match – earned New Zealand a magnificent 3-2 triumph and a ticket to the world’s greatest sporting spectacle.
They followed Paris 2024 qualification with a string of superb performances at June’s FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup in Gniezno (POL), defeating hosts Poland, Austria, South Africa, Korea and Pakistan before meeting France in the final. With the full time score locked at 1-1, Kane Russell netted the title winning goal in the shoot-out as the Black Sticks regained their place in the elite FIH Hockey Pro League, a competition from which they were relegated in 2022-23, at the first attempt.
The Black Sticks are always a force to be reckoned with, being blessed with numerous world class players. Blair Tarrant is a fine defender who has represented his country more than 260 times, while the likes of veteran striker Simon Child, Sam Lane, Hugo Inglis and penalty corner weapon Kane Russell are all goal threats.
The team is coached by former South Africa striker Greg Nicol, who represented his country at the Atlanta 1996 and Athens 2004 Olympic Games as well as the 2002 FIH Men’s World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Ireland
After winning silver at the 1908 Olympic Games in London, Ireland’s men had had a 108 year wait before returning to the Olympic hockey stage at Rio 2016, where they finished in 10th position. Their qualification for the Olympiad in Brazil was the defining moment for a hugely talented group that fulfilled their ambition of putting Irish hockey on the map.
The Green Machine are coached by former Ireland international Mark Tumilty, who guided them to Paris 2024 with a third place finish at the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier in Valencia (ESP), defeating Ukraine, Japan and Korea to seal qualification. It was the 3-4 play-off victory over the Koreans that confirmed their ticket to Paris, with Ireland taking a thrilling 4-3 win thanks to goals from Matthew Nelson, Ben Johnson, John McKee and Shane O’Donoghue.
Although Ireland’s participation in this year’s FIH Hockey Pro League ultimately ended in relegation, two magnificent triumphs over reigning Olympic champions Belgium were arguably the most eye-catching results of the entire competition. Their 2-1 and 4-1 victories over the mighty Red Lions, played on Belgian soil in Antwerp, were statement results giving a clear indication of what they are capable of. The Ireland squad selected for Paris contains three players that competed at Rio 2016, with Shane O’Donoghue, Michael Robson and former captain David Harte – who was named FIH Hockey Stars Goalkeeper of the Year both in 2015 and 2016 – bringing valuable experience. The team is captained by 27-year-old midfielder Sean Murray, who has 140 caps and 37 goals for his country.
Team Captain Sean Murray: “This is a hugely exciting moment for us as players, and it’s an honour to be able to represent this team and our country at the highest level of our sport. The team and the wider group have worked so hard to get here. No doubt the experience will stay with us forever but right now, we just want to get out there and compete.”
