Ramon Alegre is one of the stalwarts of the Spanish side. He has played for the national team since 2004 and plays his domestic hockey in the Dutch league with SV Kampong. The 33-year-old has a wealth of experience at the highest level – he has played in three Olympic Games, including the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he was part of the silver-medal winning squad.
Spain will be in the same pool as England and Belgium at the Rabobank Hockey World Cup, and when coaches from these teams talk about the threat posed by Spain, talk will always return to the experience and quality of Ramon Alegre. "When you play Spain, you always know you are going to face a team of real quality," says Belgium coach Mark Lammers. And England coach Bobby Crutchley agrees: "We have our most competitive games against Spain. They have not been on the international scene so much recently, but with players like Alegre, you always know they will be a good opposition."
Hockey runs in Ramon's family. His younger brother David has also played in past three Olympics, although he has continued to play his club hockey in Spain, as part of the Racing Club de Polo in Barcelona.
Both Ramon and David took part in the both the inaugural Hockey India League in 2013 and this year's version. Ramon played for the team that eventually finished sixth – Kalinga Lancers and David for the Uttar Pradesh Wizards who came third.
Follow Ramon Alegre on Twitter: @ramon_alegre
