Kookaburras optimistic about winning the 2012 London Olympic Games – Hockey Update
The Australian hockey team comprised majorly of a young side in the recent 20th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. Despite the fact of having a new team, they managed to take the title home after trouncing Pakistan 3-2 in a classic match, played at the Azlan
Shah Stadium in Ipoh, Malaysia.
After winning the sixth Azlan Cup title, the team feels motivated and prepared for playing in next year’s 2012 London Olympic Games. The young players of the squad are very excited to be a part of the mega sports gala ahead.
Australian coach, Ric Charlesworth, admitted the fact that winning over the Champions Trophy and Commonwealth Games title-holders was a great achievement. He added that beating the Asian Games champions, Pakistan, is the start towards the London Olympic
journey.
Charlesworth, while speaking on the tournament said, “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. But the Sultan Azlan Shah allowed me the
opportunity to try out the younger set of players and that proved to be good exercise. The win will only boost the morale of the players and I expect several of the young players to aim for a place in the London team.”
The gold-winning goal for the Australians was delivered by their star player, Christopher Ciriello during the sudden death when the teams were in seek of a lead score, to break the deadlock 2-2, into a declared win.
Australia managed to win the Malaysian Invitational despite of many new players that were added into the squad, in the absence of the senior players either due to other foreign commitments or injuries. Only two members namely Liam De Young and Fergus Kavanagh
had a record of more than hundred international caps.
The Australian coach 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. The other teams also
had young players but they have been in and out of their teams so they had more experience,”
Charlesworth said that the team had initiated with a slow pace, however, a lot of senior players will soon get back to the squad in preparation for the upcoming Champions Trophy to be held in New Delhi, this December.
Australia last won gold in the 2004 Athens Olympics under the leadership of Barry Dancer and ended with a bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The coach aims to win the gold medal in London next year. The players will currently be enjoying their Azlan Cup win but after a week or so they will return back to their training and practice for a strong build-up for London.
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