A Hastings hockey tune for the Paris Olympics

The Olympic-bound Black Sticks men’s hockey team is wrapping up its five-day camp in Hastings with one of its contingent firms from Hawke’s Bay, where they will be in Paris towards the end of the games.

Although New Zealand has not reached a hockey semi-final at the Olympic Games since the gold medal in Montreal in 1976, Sean Findlay, who played when New Zealand was 9th at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, said Hawke’s Bay today the squad has continuously improved over the past 18 months and the team selection was “very competitive”.

“We are also aiming for medals,” he says.

The team features the strong Hawke’s Bay connection of coach Greg Nicol, former former international Shea McAleese, one of three assistant coaches, goalkeeper Dominic Dixon and midfielder Findlay, while forwards Sam Hiha and teenager Jonty Elmes have been named among the non -traveling players. reserves.

They were included in the squad last week following the team’s return from the Nations Cup win in Poland, where the 10th-placed worldwide Black Sticks defeated ninth-placed France in a penalty shootout final.

The camp included a public squad match and skills session at the regional sports park’s Hastings Hockey Stadium on Sunday.

Opponents in the match included Hawke’s Bay Black Sticks player Liv Shannon and the skills session attracted around 150 aspiring future Olympians.

The camp was also based at the Hawkes Bay Community Fitness Centre, using the performance gym, testing equipment, heat chamber and swimming pool for some recovery sessions, and also hosted a hockey session for the centre’s education beyond the classroom program and a question-and-answer session and response session for players. with Te Tūranga Athlete Development athletes late on Monday.

The camp ends on Wednesday and the team goes abroad for at least two international matches in preparation for the matches.

Hawke’s Bay Hockey manager Andi Leydesdorff said: “Hawke’s Bay hockey is grateful to host the Vantage Black Sticks men’s team in the Bay”.

“On Sunday the community came together to celebrate and enjoy hockey with an exhibition match showcasing the best in men’s hockey to an audience of over 400 people and a team activation to over 150 children,” he said .

“The team are also involved in a number of other community activities during their stay here until Wednesday. We wish the team all the best in Paris.”

Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier at Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 51 years of journalistic experience, 40 of which have been in Hawke’s Bay, in news gathering including breaking news, sport, local events, issues and personalities.