The Canadian Field Hockey Women’s team is currently ranked 21st worldwide by the International Hockey Federation. The team is determined to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. At the Women’s Field Hockey Series Finals, the team is set to face Namibia (ranked 60th), Belarus (ranked 20th), and Spain (ranked 7th) in pool-play games. Spain may have the home advantage, as the venue is located in Valencia. They are also set to play against stronger teams such as Italy (17th), Wales (27th), and South Africa (15th), who are in the same pool. This is a crucial game for the team as this determines an Olympic qualification. They have been preparing well for the 2019 Hockey Series Finals. Their goal is to finish top two of the tournament to move one step closer to the Olympics. This will lead to a playoff with Olympic qualification on the line.
Under South African Coach Giles Bonnet, the team really blossomed, finishing fifth in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia. The hardworking team also had an additional boost of confidence when in May 2019, they won five matches against the Scotland team, which is ranked 18th in the world. Forward Brienne Stairs led the team, with four goals to her name. The odds are in their favor because, since the beginning of 2018, the determined team has won games versus 9 teams that outrank it. The team is on an upward trend and there couldn’t have been a perfect time for them to peak. This is an interesting time for Canada’s Field Hockey Women’s team, as the odds are slowly but surely stacking in their favor.
Now is a good momentum to place bets on the team for the 2019 Hockey Series Finals. Most online bookies have no deposit free bet promos, and it’s really just a matter of choosing the best bonus offer. With the Women’s Field Hockey Team working hard at skills acquisition and playing in more competitive games in the last 12 months, they are in a good position to be one of the top two finishers in Valencia, Spain.
On the downside, there are also several factors that will probably deter their Olympic dream, and if you’re a betting man, you will probably think that the odds are stacked against them. One of the factors is that the team is essentially self-sufficient, looking for donors and raising funds to continue with the program. They were told in February of this year that Field Hockey Canada will not be financing them, which is pretty devastating as they vie for Olympic qualification. Coach Bonnet, who has brought them this far, has also received his termination notice. His contract will end after the Pan-American Games in August 2019. The 2019 Pan-American games, which will be held in Peru, are also a crucial Olympic qualifying event. Only the overall winner will head to Tokyo 2020, and here the team will face Chile (ranked 16th), USA (ranked 12th) and Argentina (ranked 4th). If Field Hockey Canada does not grant the team’s request to keep Bonnet at least until qualification is over, they would have to pay for the coach themselves.
Despite all these, Bonnet remains enthusiastic and confident of the team. He speaks fondly of their commitment and athleticism. Although the team is facing a huge hurdle – after all, only the top 11 in the world will be qualified – Bonnet believes in the team and thinks that they have remarkable potential. Team Captain Kate Wright says they have sacrificed a lot in the past year, with their days consisting of eating, sleeping, and playing field hockey.
