Sixteen Players Selected For The Olympic Games in Tokyo
Team Ireland has officially selected the hockey team of sixteen players who will compete at the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer.
The players were announced on the back of the EuroHockey Championships which took place in Amsterdam last week.
Also announced were the two travelling reserves and goalkeeper who will compete in Oi Hockey Stadium from the 24 July until the 6 August 2021.
In November 2019 the women’s hockey team became the first Irish women’s hockey team to qualify for the Olympic Games, when they bettered Canada on Irish soil in front of a home crowd.
The Tokyo 2020 team is largely formed from that record breaking crew, which also features the majority of the 2018 World Cup Silver Medal winning squad.
In Tokyo, the team will compete in Pool A, alongside South Africa, the Netherlands, Germany, India and Olympic Champions, Great Britain. Their first competition takes place on Saturday 24th July against South Africa.
Captain of the women’s hockey team and 2018 World Cup Silver Medallist, Katie Mullan is proud of the team:
“With competition in our squad at its best and only 16 spots available, we always knew this was going to be the toughest selection.
31 players have played a massive role in our preparations over the past 10 months and we are honoured to represent the Green Army at the Olympic games.
There has been a tremendous amount of work put in by the girls and each of them deserve this opportunity. It's an exciting time for us and our families.”
Team Ireland Chef de Mission for Tokyo 2020, Tricia Heberle said:
"It’s great to welcome the Women’s Hockey team, for their first Olympic Games, but I know this has been a difficult selection.
Very good players just missed out which is testament to the depth in the playing group that has been developed over the last 18 months.
I’m excited for this team as I know they are going to be fierce competitors in Tokyo.”
Team Ireland Hockey Coach for the women’s team, Sean Dancer said:
“The Olympics is the pinnacle of our sport.
We are excited and privileged to be the group representing Ireland's women's team at their first ever Olympics.
It is important to acknowledge all the hard work and sacrifice of everyone that has been involved now and in previously with the team to get to this point.
We are going to take the key lessons from the recent Europeans to make the gains we need for the Olympics.”
The officially selected hockey players for the Olympic Games are:
1 Ayeisha McFerran (GK)
2 Chloe Watkins
3 Hannah Matthews
4 Sarah Torrans
5 Nicci Daly
6 Roisin Upton
7 Hannah McLoughlin
8 Deirdre Duke
9 Katie Mullan
10 Shirley McCay
11 Sarah Hawkshaw
12 Lena Tice
13 Naomi Carroll
14 Lizzie Holden
15 Sarah McAuley
16 Anna O’Flanagan
RESERVE - Michelle Carey
RESERVE - Zara Malseed
RESERVE GOALKEEPER Liz Murphy GK
All of the profiles of the athletes can be viewed here.
Team Ireland now consists of 44 officially selected athletes, with 95 athletes spots confirmed here.
The final team announcement is scheduled for the beginning of July.
The Olympic Games in Tokyo will run from the 23rd July to 8th August 2021.
