A Hastings hockey tune-up for the Paris Olympics

Hawke's Bay men's Black Sticks midfielder Sean Findlay (in black) tries to evade Hawke's Bay women's Black Sticks national representative Liv Shannon in Sunday's men's Olympic Games training camp match at the Hastings Hockey Stadium. Photo / Connull Lang

The Olympics-bound Black Sticks men’s hockey team is winding up its five-day camp in Hastings with one of its Hawke’s Bay contingent firm on where they will be by the end of the games in Paris.

Hawke's Bay men's Black Sticks midfielder Sean Findlay (in black) tries to evade Hawke's Bay women's Black Sticks national representative Liv Shannon in Sunday's men's Olympic Games training camp match at the Hastings Hockey Stadium. Photo / Connull Lang.

While New Zealand has not reached an Olympic Games hockey semifinal since the gold medal win in Montreal in 1976, Sean Findlay, who played when New Zealand was 9th at the Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, told Hawke’s Bay Today the side has been continuously improving over the last 18 months and team selection was “very competitive”.

“We are also aiming to medal,” he said.

The team features the strong Hawke’s Bay connection of coach Greg Nicol, former long-time international Shea McAleese, one of three assistant coaches, goalie Dominic Dixon and midfielder Findlay, while forwards Sam Hiha and teenager Jonty Elmes have been named among the non-travelling reserves.

They were named in the squad last week after the team’s return from its Nations Cup triumph in Poland, where globally 10th-ranked the Black Sticks beat 9th-ranked France in a penalty shootout final.

The camp included a public squad match and skills session on Sunday at the regional sports park’s Hastings Hockey Stadium.

Opposition in the match included Hawke’s Bay women’s Black Sticks player Liv Shannon, and the skills session attracted about 150 budding future Olympians.

The camp has also been based around the Hawkes Bay Community Fitness Centre, using the performance gym, testing equipment, heat chamber and pool for some recovery sessions, and also putting on a hockey session for the centre’s education outside the classroom programme and a player Q&A with Te Tūranga Athlete Development athletes late on Monday.

The camp ends on Wednesday, and the team will head abroad for at least two internationals in preparation for the games.

Hawke’s Bay Hockey manager Andi Leydesdorff said: “Hawke’s Bay hockey is grateful for being able to host the Vantage Black Sticks men’s team in the Bay”.

“Sunday saw the community come together to celebrate and enjoy hockey with a practice match showcasing the best in men’s hockey to a crowd of 400-plus and an activation delivered by the team to over 150 kids,” he said.

“The team is also involved in a number of other community engagements during their stay here until Wednesday. We wish the team all the best in Paris.”

Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 51 years of journalism experience, 40 of them in Hawke’s Bay, in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.