The Olympic Federation of Ireland has officially named the men’s hockey team that will compete this summer at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Captained by Sean Murray of Lisburn the team clinched one of the coveted places at the Final Qualification event in Valencia earlier this year, when they defeated Korea 4-3 in a scintillating final match.
Having narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics, the men’s team last competed at the Rio Games, with two of that squad returning for the Paris Olympics, goalkeeper David Harte from Cork and Shane O’Donoghue from Dublin who was an entertaining guest of Sport for Business and the PExpo last month.
The venue for the hockey tournaments is the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium, which was the main arena for the eighth Olympiad in 1924. This was the stadium into which Team Ireland first walked out as a competing nation at the Olympic Games 100 years ago.
It is the only stadium in France that will host events from two separate Olympic Games.
Competition for the hockey runs from 27 July to 9 August 2024. Ireland competes in Pool B where they face Belgium, India, Australia, Argentina and New Zealand. Their first match will be against Belgium on the 27th of July.
“This is a hugely exciting moment for us as players, and it’s an honour to be able to represent this team and our country at the highest level of our sport,” said Captain Sean Murray.
“The team and the wider group have worked so hard to get here. No doubt the experience will stay with us forever but right now, we just want to get out there and compete.”
“We’re delighted to announce the team today, those selected have earned this opportunity and it’s a moment for them and their families that they deserve,” added Head Coach Mark Tumilty.
“I’ve always said the toughest part of my job is selecting only sixteen to compete, and our thoughts are also with those members of the group who have missed out on selection. I am proud of them all for getting us to where we are today.”
“We are delighted to welcome the men’s hockey team back onto the Olympic team for these Games,” said Olympic Federation of Ireland Chef de Mission for Paris 2024, Gavin Noble.
“The qualification journey for these Games is never easy, and the players demonstrated such resilience and dedication to get to this point. We are especially looking forward to supporting the team as they compete in the same stadium that the Irish Olympic team first walked in as a nation at the Olympic Games.”
This brings to sixty-four the official number of athletes who have so far been selected to represent Team Ireland at Paris 2024, a Games that will see us celebrate our centenary competing as a nation at the Olympic Games.
The team announcements for each sport will follow over the coming weeks, with the final team announcement scheduled for the beginning of July. The Olympic Games in Paris will run from the 24th July to the 11th August 2024, with the Opening Ceremony taking place on the 26th of July.
There are still tickets available for a number of events and competitions. It will likely be 2040 before the Games return to Europe and it is an experience that every sports fan will remember for the rest of their lives.
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