Tokyo promises to be a stunning treat for hockey fans around the world. Olympic gold on the line, the narratives are seismic and whether it’s pride, passion or glory, every team is playing for something.
It’s going to be a heavyweight spectacle with a plethora of goals, a rollercoaster of emotion and, of course, some top-quality hockey, albeit behind closed doors. Here, SIMON CAPPER looks at some the best match ups from the opening weekend.
Australia – Japan (M)
Right out of the gate and it’s into the lion’s den tie for hosts Japan. Going up against the Kookaburras this will be a baptism of fire for Siegfried Aikman’s young side. Australia sit atop the FIH rankings and you know they are going to come out swinging and setting the tone early. We can expect Japan will need to weather some major storms if they are to come out of this one with a result, but with no 12th man it may prove a step too far.
Prediction: Australia 8-0 Japan
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Off the back of a successful European Championships, the Germans will no doubt go into the Olympics filled with confidence. This success is the result of a rebuilding program that the side has gone through over the last couple of years. In the forward line, they have some real talent in the form of youngster Pia Maertens who combines with the dogged and powerful Charlotte Stapenhorst.
Franzisca Hauke will maintain the family tradition and try to dominate the game from the midfield. Captain at just 24, Nike Lorenz is a crucial cog in this new German machine. She can carry the ball out of the back as well as tackle and distribute with ease. Die Danas have used some extravagant penalty corner routines in the past, but no matter whether there’s a triple transfer or a straight flick, look out for talisman Lorenz on the end of it. The side has improved a great deal and is now a genuine contender, but do they have the experience to bring home gold?
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This Olympic Games has been blessed with an abundance of incredible goalkeepers. In the modern day game, the importance of goalkeepers is stronger than ever. IMOGEN AINSWORTH runs the rule over 10 to watch as teams aim to make history in Tokyo.
Ayeisha McFerran, Ireland
McFerran will be looking to build upon her personal and team success from the 2018 World Cup on the Olympic stage. Despite unfortunate results at recent international events, the Green Army will be aiming shine the green light in Tokyo. Playing her club hockey for Kampong since 2019, McFerran has gained valuable experience playing in the Hoofdklasse. Stand out performances in Ireland’s goal in the 2018 World Cup led to her being crowned goalkeeper of the tournament, and helped her team win a first silver medal. She’s a shoot-out expert, as seen in the World Cup and also in Ireland’s Olympic Qualifiers against Canada. She also attended the University of Louisville, USA, where she played for the Louisville Cardinals from 2015-2017. Ireland will be an exciting team to watch in Tokyo as they look to make history once more with an Olympic medal.
Rachael Lynch, Australia
After a turbulent year for the Hockeyroos, Lynch’s determination and courage has been a force to be reckoned with on and off the field. These qualities will be sure to be present in her performances. Going into her second Olympic Games with 227 international caps to her name, Lynch has plenty of experience on the international stage. She made history during the 2019 FIH Pro League, where she surpassed Rachel Imison’s previous record of 207 caps. Following a successful year in 2019, she was awarded FIH Goalkeeper of the Year.
Rachael Lynch was awarded FIH goakeeper of the year in 2019
Working as a neuro-rehabilitation nurse, and an ambassador for mental health charity ‘RUOK?’, she’s an inspiration to many, both on and off the hockey pitch. She also runs her own coaching company, “Stomp Goalkeeping”, which shows her commitment to developing younger goalkeepers to be the best they can be. Strong performances in the 2018 World Cup saw Australia finish fourth, and they then went on to finish third at the inaugural FIH Pro League. Australia will be starting their tournament against Spain, a rematch of the bronze medal match from the 2018 World Cup where they finished outside the medals. They’ll be looking to put this right in Tokyo.
Marìa Ruiz, Spain
A promising Spanish team have been building momentum in the years leading up to this Olympics, securing significant World Cup and European bronzes in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Ruiz continues to be a strong figure in defence, notably being awarded goalkeeper of the tournament and denying England a bronze medal in the 3rd/4th place shootout at the 2019 EuroHockey Championships. She’s an incredibly hard-working athlete, who’s dedication has often been praised by Spain’s head coach, Adrain Lock. She’s notably adapted to lockdowns by creating a form of reaction training using lights to improve her peripheral vision.
She plays her domestic hockey for Club de Campo Villa Madrid, a popular club within the Spanish team. An Olympic medal in Tokyo for the Spanish Women would be the product of years of hard work, with their first and only Olympic medal being gold in 1992. Given their recent successes at the 2018 World Cup and 2019 EuroHockey Championships, they have shown that they can battle with the best and will certainly be strong contenders in Tokyo.
Belén Succi, Argentina
The first choice goalkeeper of Las Leonas brings a wealth of experience with her on the plane to Tokyo. Heading to her third Olympic Games, Succi will be targeting a second Olympic medal following a bronze in Beijing. With 240 international caps, she goes into the tournament as the most capped female goalkeeper. She’s been part of the senior team since 2006, and has achieved an impressive 20 medals, 12 of which are gold, in those 15 years.
With a busy life outside of hockey as a mother and a teacher, her years of dedication to the sport have not gone unnoticed. She often stands out in her brilliantly decorated OBO helmets. Keep an eye out for her stunning blue and white helmet, featuring the symbol of Las Leonas, a lioness. They are currently ranked second in the world, but Argentina women have never won an Olympic gold. They’re another team hoping to make history in this tournament and she’ll be a driving force in their Olympic campaign.
Josine Koning, Netherlands
Out of the 96 matches the Netherlands have played since Rio 2016, they have only lost three. This comes as no surprise given the quality of the entire team, with their goalkeepers being no exception. Having two world-class goalkeepers in their team, Alyson Annan was spoilt for choice when choosing for the Olympics. Koning’s solid international and club performances have led to her being chosen as the first choice goalkeeper going to Tokyo. She plays for the highly successful Den Bosch, and trains under the watchful eye of renowned goalkeeper coach Martijn Drijver.
On the club scene, she’s helped Den Bosch top the women’s Hoofdklasse multiple times, most recently in the 2020-21 season. Her performances in Orange have seen her and her team win an abundance of gold medals including: Champions Trophy gold in 2018, World Cup gold in 2018, FIH ProLeague golds 2019 and the 2020/2021 season, and EuroHockey golds in 2019 and 2021. Off the hockey pitch, she has also studied for a masters in Law, which is a fine achievement while also playing top level hockey. The Dutch team will be going to Tokyo hoping to right the wrongs from Rio and come away with a gold to add to their collection.
Ollie Payne, Great Britain
Payne has rapidly made his way through the GB Hockey ranks. The 22-year-old joined the GB senior men’s set up in July 2020 after a successful junior career. As part of the GB EDP squad, who notably won gold at both the 2018 and 2019 Sultan of Johor Cup, he was awarded goalkeeper of the tournament in 2019. He also won silver with England at the 2019 Junior EuroHockey championship in Valencia. Originally from Devon, Payne was a key player in Durham University’s Men’s 1st team during his time there. He memorably helped them to victory in a thrilling BUCS final in 2018 which ended on penalty strokes. After graduating with a degree in Sport, Exercise and Physical Activity, he plays for Holcombe. Head coach Danny Kerry has put faith in the youngster, selecting him for the Olympic Games after making his senior debut during the EuroHockey Championships earlier in the summer where England finished 4th. With Kerry at the helm, Team GB will be hoping to be on the podium and follow the women’s success in Rio to another historic gold for Team GB.
Pirmin Blaak, Netherlands
Max Caldas’ experienced Dutch side have been on the rise once more in the lead up to Tokyo. Pirmin Blaak has been a prominent figure in the squad since his international debut in 2011. He not only was awarded goalkeeper of the tournament in the most recent EuroHockey Championships, but he was also hugely important in helping his team win gold in front of a home crowd.
He is the co-founder of the coaching company, GoalieWorks, which he runs with Jan Lelieveldt. He currently plays for Oranje-Rood, which he has done since 2016. The Dutch men haven’t won an Olympic gold since 2000, with their last medal being a silver in 2012. They’ll be hoping to improve on the final standings from Rio which saw them finish 4th, and gain themselves a place on the podium in Tokyo.
Alex Stadler, Germany
Mannheim Hockey Club’s young goalkeeper has made an incredible start to his senior international career. Coming off the back of a gold medal and being awarded goalkeeper of the tournament at the Junior EuroHockey Championships in 2019, he made his senior debut for Germany in September 2020. At the age of 21 he’s been capped 10 times for the German men’s team.
Alexander Stadler has made swift rise as Germany’s No1
His most recent success includes a silver medal in the 2021 EuroHockey Championship narrowly missing out on a gold in a dramatic shoot-out. He spent some of his younger years in England at Oakham School, in Rutland. He was part of the 1st XI which played in the National Cup Quarter finals and National Indoor finals, and won the Independent Schools Midlands Hockey League. He’ll be the youngest ‘keeper out in Tokyo, but no doubt one of the brightest talents as Germany go in search of another Olympic medal following their most recent bronze in Rio.
Quico Cortes, Spain
Quico Cortes is an extremely experienced goalkeeper, playing at three Olympic Games (Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016) and 17 years with the national side. At the age of 38, he has a phenomenal 315 international caps and is the most capped men’s goalkeeper at the tournament. A loyal club servant, his career has seen him turn out for Club Egara every year but one, when he played for Den Bosh for the 2012-2013 season. After securing an Olympic silver in Beijing in 2008, he’ll be hoping to add an Olympic gold to his stunning career.
Recent success includes a silver medal in the 2019 EuroHockey Championship, however Spain finished 5th at the most recent EuroHockey Championships earlier this summer in Amsterdam. He also earned a well deserved nomination for FIH Goalkeeper of the Year after stand out performances in 2019. His years of experience will serve him well in this tournament, and he’ll be a calming figure Olympic debutants in the team.
P.R Sreejesh, India
A long-standing figure in the Indian team, Sreejesh is one of the most capped players in the squad. He’s been capped 236 times during his 15 years on the team. This will be his third Olympic Games, having played in both London and Rio. He’s a former captain of the team, during which he led the team to Olympic quarter finals, and Champions Trophy silver. He’s highly respected in the hockey community, and as a result he was made a member of the FIH Athlete’s Committee this year. Alongside this, he also works for the Kerala government as Chief Sports Organiser. India will be going into this Olympics hoping to secure a long awaited Olympic medal, something which hasn’t happened in four decades.
England Hockey hopes to have a better understanding of concussion next season after a brain injury legal specialist said there was “no excuse for a lack of data”.
An investigation by specialist lawyers Bolt Burdon Kemp (BBK) recently found that only one in five popular sports in the UK publish easily accessible concussion data.
England rugby scored the highest for publishing its own concussion data regularly, Netball England the lowest, while hockey listed second alongside cricket and football. However, research says that only rugby has easily accessible concussion data and follows the government’s inquiry into the long-term effects of head injuries in sports.
Ipek Tugcu, senior associate in the Adult Brain Injury Team at Bolt Burdon Kemp, told The Hockey Paper: “The lack of concussion data in hockey as compared to other sports, like rugby or football, is an unfortunate oversight at best and alarming at worst.
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The DCMS Committee’s inquiry into concussion in sport has concluded that “urgent action” is needed by Government and national sporting bodies to address a long-term failure to reduce the risks of brain injury on sports fields.
The DCMS had heard from a number of witnesses from sports including rugby and football ahead of its report, released on Thursday.
No hockey players were asked by the DCMS commitee, which found failings including a lack of government action on previous safety recommendations and no UK-wide minimum standard definition of concussion.
DCMS Committee Chair Julian Knight MP said: “We’ve been shocked by evidence from athletes who suffered head trauma, putting their future health on the line in the interests of achieving sporting success for the UK.
“What is astounding is that when it comes to reducing the risks of brain injury, sport has been allowed to mark its own homework.
“The failure by these sporting organisations to address the issue of acquired brain injury is compounded by a lack of action by Government.
Government should establish UK-wide minimum standard definition for concussion that all sports must use and adapt for their sport
Health and Safety Executive should work with National Governing Bodies of all sports to establish a national framework for the reporting of sporting injuries
UK Sport should take a governance role in assuring that all sports it funds raise awareness on the dangers of concussion effectively
Peter McCabe, chief executive of the Headway charity, told the Committee during the hearings that, for many participating in grassroots and youth sports, the example set by their heroes around head injury needs to change.
He said: “Elite sports have a responsibility to set a good example to youth and grassroots sports. If concussion is not taken seriously in elite sport, that is going to be happening on a Saturday morning when youngsters are playing, where there aren’t ambulances waiting at the side of the pitch.
“Concussion must be taken seriously and if somebody sustains a bang on the head they need to be withdrawn from the field of play and you need to adopt a precautionary approach.”
Coach Sjoerd Marijne says it is down to the India team – not captain Rani Rampal – to raise the profile of women in their homeland.
Rani is the standout player for India, having made her debut for the Eves as a 14-year-old in 2010.
Ahead of their key opener against Holland on Saturday, Marijne said: “For us she is of course not a celebrity but with Rani doing well, we have a mission with the team for all of us to put women in a better position in India.
“This helps her to go for that goal, because if we do well, we get a lot of exposure.
“Rani is an example as a leader and leads by example.
“But for Rani it is also important for her to now focus on herself. She is experienced, she’s helping players around her and that makes my work a little bit easier.”
Marijne will oversee the Eves against the country of his birth in their Olympic Pool opener at the Oi Stadium – and Rani herself believes all the pressure is on the Oranje.
“They are No.1 (ranked side in the world) but I think the pressure is on them. We need to play our game. We shouldn’t think about the result or what the outcome will be. We should be satisfied by our performance.
“For the overall tournament, first we need to be in the quarterfinals. We need to clear the pool and after the quarterfinals it’s anyone’s game. The tournaments totally change.”
“Following many questions about our cardboard beds, we thought we should put them to the test,” Lynch wrote on Twitter. “Can confirm they are strong enough for activities!”
One Twitter user responded: “Had to break it to yous. But that isn’t how you have sex.” Lynch replied: “Oh oops.”
Team GB hockey players hope that computerised pills to combat heat will have proved beneficial in the stifling heat at the Tokyo Olympics.
The Hockey Paper can disclose that some British players have been taking the pills – which has a microchip that transmits the body’s internal temperature – with the English Institute of Sport studying the results to help athletes understand heat and humidity on their bodies.
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Kookaburras great Mark Knowles said on Wednesday that Brisbane’s awarding of the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics was a momentous day “for young hockey players in Australia”.
It will be the third time Australia will host the Games following a vote of International Olympic Committee member nations in Tokyo.
“What a day for young hockey players in Australia. To have the goal of participating in a home Olympic Games in 11 years will send shivers down the spine of players from 7-22 years of age,” said Knowles.
“In my role as Technical Lead of Pathways, this is the type of spark that can change a sport and I can’t wait to see an explosion of talent going to new levels to be part of a once in a career experience.”
Ballymore, left, is a suburb of Brisbane
Hockey Australia President Mel Woosnam said: “We saw the success in Sydney in 2000 and the positive boost the Olympics provides, for not only non-professional sports such as hockey and other Olympic and Paralympic sports, but for the entire community.
“These Games have the potential to build an amazing legacy as it will create a need for new and upgraded hockey facilities across Queensland and other parts of the country as international teams will be looking to hold pre-Olympic training camps in Australia.
“How inspiring for our young players, coaches and officials who can now aspire to participate in a home Olympics and become the next crop of hockey stars.”
The Queensland region already has about 80 per cent of the Games infrastructure in place following the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
The 2032 Games is estimated to cost around AUS$5bn.
Ballymore set to host hockey at 2032 Olympics
The Hockeyroos last won Olympic gold at the 2000 Games. The Kookaburras last won gold in 2004.
Hockey will feature at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and although it is still on the Games programme, nothing is confirmed for Los Angeles 2028.
After a decade in international hockey following her debut in 2011, Maddie Hinch knows that she’s older – 32 – and that her body “doesn’t allow me to do certain things as before”.
Yet it’s hard to believe this statement given the spring and dynamism we have grown to know behind the helmet for England and Great Britain over the last six or so years when she has prospered in goal. “But it doesn’t mean it [my body] is any less effective,” she adds. “Maybe you will see a slightly different style but my intent and passion is still there.”
Hockey goalkeeping has been in Hinch’s blood since a teacher first suggested the position 20 years ago. Such has been the rise of her status, it is little wonder that she describes the last five years as a “rollercoaster” journey. Rio gold, public adulation, taking time out of the game after the 2018 World Cup and talking openly a few months ago on her mental health battles.
The pressures of elite sport are unforgiving at times – even for a hockey player. But as Hinch prepares for her second Olympics, hearing her talk of her No.1 position is a joy to behold.
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