Long-list down to twenty-five for Under-18 Men headed to Youth Olympic Games

For Immediate Release

Vancouver, BC – In preparation for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, to be held in Nanjing, China this August, Field Hockey Canada has released the long-list of twenty-five athletes.  From a comprehensive list of athletes identified from across the country, the Olympic long-list was narrowed down through a series of sessions and camps in both Western and Eastern Canada.  It is from this list that the final nine athletes to compete in the Youth Olympics will be selected.

Canada’s participation in the Youth Olympics was secured by two key components. The first was qualification through the Pan American Youth Hockey Championships, a mission successfully completed in Puerto Rico in February.

The second was to be selected by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) as the team sport of choice to represent Canada in Nanjing. Where nations can send multiple teams to the Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee restricts each nation to one team sport per gender for the Youth Olympics. 

“We have the great fortune of working with our Canadian Olympic Committee in sending our young men to Nanjing,” says Field Hockey Canada CEO Jeff Sauvé. “It is a great source of pride that we are the team sport of choice, selected by the COC, to represent Canada at the Youth Olympics.”

The Youth Olympics features the exciting Hockey 5’s version of field hockey, created by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) for increased excitement and skill.  Field Hockey Canada will be part of sporting history when Hockey 5’s will make its major international debut at the Youth Olympics.

The twenty-five athletes named to the squad will attend a centralized Under-18 National Camp this summer in Vancouver, before nine players and three non-travelling reserves are named to the final roster.

“I am really encouraged by the make-up of the long-list squad,” says Under-18 head coach Inderpal Sehmbi. “It bodes well for us heading in to our preparation to have athletes with competitive experience at an international level to handle the rigors of a multi-sport competition.”

“At the same time, we have an excellent crop of athletes who are pushing hard to gain their first international exposure, and at such an exciting event.”

Over the last year, athletes from across the country were evaluated by provincial and national staff through their performance at National Championships, various tryout and development camps, and performance at the 2014 Youth Pan American Championships, where Canada won silver to qualify for the Youth Olympics.

“We have far more depth at the Under-18 level across the country than I have seen in years, even going back to when I was a national athlete,” adds Sehmbi. “A number of our players have experience with the junior development squad and our Youth Pan Am team.” 

“We work collaboratively as a management team within the Men’s National Program and I would not be surprised if we see a number of those on the long-list with the opportunity to join our Senior Development Squad leading in to the summer.”

Canadian Under-18 Squad

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About Field Hockey Canada

From grass roots to high performance, Field Hockey Canada is working to develop and strengthen field hockey across the country, and to position our National Teams for podium contention in 2016 and beyond.

About Youth Olympic Games 

The Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games will encompass all 28 sports on the Olympic programme and will be held from August 16th to 28th. The Nanjing Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (NYOGOC) will work together with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to attract the best young athletes from around the world to compete at the highest level.

Field Hockey Canada Contact:

Shaheed Devji

Manager, Creative and Communications

Field Hockey Canada

sdevji@fieldhockey.ca

778-847-7424