The Great Britain Women’s Hockey Team were presented with the Team of the Year Award from the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) at their General Assembly in Doha earlier this week.
Following their dramatic shootout success in Rio, Team GB defender Hollie Webb, scorer of the winner in the shootout, was out in Doha to collect the award on behalf of her team at the ceremony celebrating and honouring the best sporting achievements from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Team GB’s women’s hockey team secured its first ever Olympic gold after a shootout victory over defending champions The Netherlands. The team won all eight of their matches at Rio 2016.
Webb on receiving the award said: “It is an honour to be in the company of so many inspiring people at the ANOC Gala Awards and Team GB’s women’s hockey team are thrilled to be the recipients of the ANOC Women’s Team of the Year Award.
“It has been an unbelievable year for us, returning home from Rio as Olympic champions and the first ever GB women’s hockey team to win Olympic gold was an amazing feeling and an achievement we are all incredibly proud of.”
As well as the Women’s Team of the Year prize for the hockey team, The British Olympic Association (BOA) were also rewarded for their best ever medal haul, picking up the Most Successful National Olympic Committee of the Year.
Team GB returned home from Rio with 67 medals, its best ever at an Olympic Games on foreign soil, and a second place finish in the medal table. The team made history in Brazil by becoming the first NOC to win more medals at the Games immediately after hosting following a haul of 65 medals at London 2012
Bill Sweeney, CEO of the BOA said: “It’s a fantastic achievement for both the women’s hockey team and the whole of the British Olympic Association. We’ve had an incredible year, returning home from Rio with 67 medals and a second place finish in the table and to cap it all off being awarded the number one NOC in the world here at the ANOC Awards. It has been a terrific effort from everyone involved.”
The Team of the Year award is the first in what could be a busy time for Danny Kerry’s side who are also nominated for Vitality Team of the Year BT Sport Action Woman Team of the Year whilst Maddie Hinch, Kate Richardson-Walsh, Alex Danson, Lily Owsley, Danny Kerry and Karen Brown have all been nominated for FIH #HockeyStars 2016 prizes.
