The brother of Grace O’Malley- Kumar Foundation said it was an “honour” to wear his sister’s shirt as the tournament set up to remember the gifted hockey player was staged in Nottingham.

Grace O’Malley-Kumar Cup, organised by Grace’s University of Nottingham student friends, featured six teams at the Nottingham Hockey Centre on Saturday.

“It’s so amazing to see everyone is here to remember Grace,” James O’Malley-Kumar said.

“To remember who she was – and Barnaby and Ian.”

The tournament also saw money raised for the foundations of Barnaby Webber and Ian Coates, who also died in the Nottingham attacks last year.

James wore the number seven shirt – the number his sister also wore, which has  now been retired by the university’s women’s side.

“It’s an honour to wear her number,” he added. “Grace was an amazing sportswoman and I have to live up to what she achieved and what she’s done and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Dr Sinead O’Malley, Ms O’Malley-Kumar’s mother, said attending the tournament had been “bittersweet”.

“Ultimately it’s so lovely to see so many people that were such a big part of Grace’s life together,” she said.

“It’s really been a lovely day. We’re really happy to be here.”

The Grace O’Malley-Kumar Foundation helps support those in their sporting and academic endeavours and promotes community service.

The tournament comprised of six different teams: 

Grace’s all stars team captained by her brother James, also a junior international

University of Nottingham Mixed team captained by two of her closest friends, Mia Brown Nicola Fletcher 

University of Nottingham 1st XI captained by her ex-teammate, Maddie Axford

University of Nottingham Alumni co-captained by her ex-teammates, Meg Da Lange and her former Captain Katie Curtis 

Old Loughtonians legacy team captained by Nathan Gladman 

Southgate Hockey Club legacy team captained by her fellow Southgate and England Hockey friend, Sophia Martin

Grace’s friend Nicola Fletcher, 20, told the Nottingham Post: “Everything that gets written about her is so true, she was that person you’d go to if you felt a bit down and you just needed someone to lift you up. 

“She was so confident but she made other people confident too, she never took all the attention. It made you feel so safe if you had Grace with you because you knew that everyone would be having a nice time.”

A hat-trick of Binghams will be playing in the England Hockey National Club Championship Finals this weekend for two different clubs.

Lottie Bingham, 18, will be playing for Holcombe Women’s 1s against Beeston Women’s 1s in the Tier 1 Final.

Lottie, a current England U21 women’s squad member, played in the Junior World Cup in Chile earlier this season and is currently revising for her A Levels at Weald of Kent Grammar School.

Lottie left Knole Park to sign for Holcombe this season and has helped them achieve promotion back into the Premier Division. Still a part of Knole Park’s junior programme, she is back on the pitch enjoying summer training with her sister. 

Her younger sister Emily Bingham, 14, will be playing for HC Knole Park women’s 1s in the Tier 2 Final against Swindon Women’s 1s.

The club’s women’s 1s achieved their fifth consecutive promotion into the South East Premier Division next season. They reached the Tier 2 Final after a convincing semi-final win against the British Army. Emily is in Year 9 and also plays for the club’s U14 side, as well as for UK Lions and Kent U14 Girls. 

Meanwhile mum Ruth will run out for HC Knole Park women’s 2s in the Tier 4 Final against Preston Women’s 2s. Last time Knole Park reached the National Final in 2022, Ruth was on the sidelines celebrating the win, having undergone major surgery to remove a sarcoma.

This weekend she will be on the pitch, having made a full recovery as the Bingham fans in the stands aim for a trio of successes. 

A hockey tournament to commemorate the life of Grace O’Malley-Kumar, one of the victims of the Nottingham attacks last summer, will be staged in May.

O’Malley-Kumar, who played for England Hockey’s U16s and U18s, will be remembered on May 4 when six teams compete for the Grace O’Malley-Kumar Cup. Her younger brother James will also captain a team at Nottingham Hockey Centre as the day pays tribute to the gifted 19-year-old.

The charity event, which will be raising funds for the foundation set up in Grace’s name, is being organised by the students’ union (SU) at the University of Nottingham, where the talented hockey player was studying medicine.
 
To support the tournament and Grace’s foundation, a silent auction has also been set up to raise funds.

Grace played hockey for her local club, Old Loughtonians and Southgate. At UoN, she won BUCS gold in her first year and also played in the Premier Division.

University team-mate Katie Curtis described Grace as “bubbly, welcoming, kind, compassionate, hilarious and thoughtful”.

She added: “It is precisely these characteristics that made her such an integral part of our team, fuelling us all with determination.”

Grace’s brother set up the foundation to back causes she supported and to “ensure she is never forgotten”.

He said: “For me as Grace’s younger brother, I have always said that the least I can do is ensure Grace’s legacy lives on.

“All of us decided to organise a hockey tournament, bringing together all paths of Grace’s career to have a day where we remember the amazing person she was.”