Sam Quek, the Olympic gold medallist, marked the 50-day countdown to the Vitality women’s Hockey World Cup by hosting the launch of #BehindEveryGreatPlayer in London on Thursday night.
But the Wirral Olympian unfortunately wasn’t available for questions on the Hockey World Cup itself to further boost publicity on the London extravaganza next month.
The Hockey Paper was refused an interview by her agent on the grounds of media saturation ahead of the publication of Quek’s autobiography My Story So Far (White Owl, £19.99) which is set to launch during the World Cup.
The book is listed with a publication date of July 30 which falls the day after the group games finish and before the quarter-finals start at Lee Valley.
Quek, 29, has been signed up to be a main presenter at the World Cup this summer, presumably with BT Sport.
Her book is set to tell the story of how she overcame a tough childhood and the disappointment at missing out on two Olympics.
But she went through a third Olympic campaign to achieve success in Rio and then subsequently appeared on ‘I’m a Celebrity’ as the team’s popularity grew.
“Sam also has some very strong views on how women are portrayed in sport and their treatment by both coaches and the media,” the book synopsis states.
“This is a hugely topical subject at the moment and promises to remain so for some time.”
Quek hasn’t officially retired from the international scene but still plays club hockey for Bowdon Hightown in the Investec women’s Premier Division, a side she returned to for the first time in eight years last season.
She also works on a variety of sports for television networks, including men and women’s football, the NFL and hockey.
Meanwhile, the London event on Thursday took place at the House of Sport where Quek fronted a panel of experts which discussed the fundamental role a supportive network plays in achieving sporting success.
Panellists explored subjects such as the importance of positive parenting behaviours, how parents can encourage sporting activities and best practices for parents when it comes to encouraging participation in sport.
The panel included England’s Emily Defroand and her mum, Gill.
Why it’s time to put hockey clubs first for season-ending league finals
