Kookaburras looking to reclaim 2012 London Olympics: Hockey News
Australia, the number-one hockey squad in the world, after winning the 20thAzlan Shah Cup for the sixth time, is fixing their eyes at the Olympic Games, scheduled to be played next year in London, England.
Richard Charlesworth, one of the best hockey coaches in the world, while talking to the media after winning the finals against Pakistan, said that they were looking to conclude the long journey with victory in the 2012 London Olympics.
He stated, “This tournament has been a very good test for us and it is also the start of the London programme. We still have a long way to go before we have the team ready.”
He said that they tested youngsters in the invitational, as many senior players including Jamie Dwyer were not available with the squad. In his views, the youngsters displayed a good game and proved their worth in the international hockey. The victory will
increase the confidence level of the players and many youngsters will get chances to be included in the team for the London Gala, he added.
Australia though has not lost any game in the seven-nation invitational, held in Malaysia, but it faced tough competition from Pakistan in the finals. Christopher Ciriello converted a short corner in the second half of the extra-time to carry his side to
a 3-2 victory.
The team that clinched the title did not have the services of Fergus Kavanagh, Liam De Young and Jamie Dwyer, who were not included due to injuries.
The coach further added, “We had the youngest team here in Ipoh and in terms of international matches as we had only played around 40 games compared to the other teams which were well over 100 matches since the World Cup last year.”
He opined that the other squads also comprised of young players, but they have had more international experiences as compared to them. He, however, hoped that the experienced players will be back in the squad before 2011 Champions Trophy to be held in New
Delhi, India.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Kookaburras lifted the Olympics gold medal under the training of Barry Dancer in 2004, but failed to defend it in Beijing Olympics in 2008. With the appointment of Ric Charlesworth, the Aussies have won two Champions
Trophies, one World Cup, Commonwealth Games and Azlan Shah Cup so far.
The coach reiterated that their main target is to reclaim the gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics, adding that the players would have to do lot of hard-work in this regard. In the concluding remarks, he hoped a strong squad in the forth-coming London
Olympic Games.
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