After months of intense preparation and countless hours training, the finest young hockey players in the world are gearing up for what is certain to be the biggest event to date in their fledgeling sporting careers.
This weekend, the 2014 Youth Olympic Games will get under way in Nanjing, China. This hugely prestigious event gives young athletes between the ages of 15 and 18 the chance to compete across a range of sports, providing athletes with valuable experience at a major multi-sport event whilst also giving fans a glimpse of the stars of the future. Over 3,000 athletes will compete in 222 events across 28 sports, with Hockey playing a key role throughout the 13-day extravaganza.
The event in Nanjing is the second Youth Olympic Games, coming four years after the inaugural edition in Singapore. The Hockey competition was a massive success in 2010, introducing the world to a number of extraordinarily gifted individuals who would go on to achieve exceptional things over the next four years.
Two such players were members of Australia’s Youth Olympic Gold medal winning ‘class of 2010’: Jeremy Hayward and Daniel Beale. This year, Hayward played a starring role as the mighty Kookaburras triumphed at Rabobank Hockey World Cup, being named Hero Best Young Player of the tournament in the process, while Beale featured in the squad that stormed to Gold at the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The event in Singapore also gave us a first look at Frederique Derkx and Marloes Keetels, two young women who showcased their huge potential by winning Gold with the Netherlands at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games before going on to fulfil their promise by becoming World Champions in The Hague earlier this year.
A significant change from the Singapore 2010 event is that the tournament in Nanjing moves away from 11-a-side to Hockey5s, the eye catching, action-packed format played between teams of only five on-field players. With shorter games and a smaller pitch, Hockey5s adds a new flavour to our classic sport, with rules specifically tailored to encourage skills and trickery, generating intense and highly entertaining play. It is certain to attract plenty of attention in Nanjing, and provides the perfect platform for showcasing the future stars of the sport.
As previously announced by FIH, there will be ten teams in both the men’s and women’s competitions, with a total of 180 promising young hockey players representing 16 countries. Each competition has two representatives from Europe, Asia, Africa, Pan America and Oceania in a truly global tournament.
The men’s competition features Spain and Germany representing Europe, Bangladesh and Pakistan from Asia, Canada and Mexico from Pan America, Australia and New Zealand from Oceania, and South Africa and Zambia representing Africa. In the women’s competition hosts China are joined by Japan, South Africa, Zambia, the Netherlands, Germany, Fiji, New Zealand, Argentina and Uruguay. Pool information for the men’s and women’s tournaments in Nanjing can be found below.
The tournament will take place at the Youth Olympic Sports Park Hockey Centre, a cracking new facility that was constructed especially for the Nanjing Games. The action begins on Sunday 17th August at 1600 (UTC / GMT +8), when the men of Spain take on Bangladesh in Pool A.
You can keep up to speed on all of the action from the 2014 Youth Olympic Games on the official event website - www.nanjing2014.org, with hockey specific info available by clicking here. To learn more about the Youth Olympic Games, click here.
2nd Youth Olympic Games
17-27 August 2014
Nanjing, China.
Men
Pool A Pool B
South Africa Zambia
Bangladesh Pakistan
Spain Germany
Australia New Zealand
Canada Mexico
Women
Pool A Pool B
South Africa Zambia
Japan China
Netherlands Germany
Fiji New Zealand
Argentina Uruguay
