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Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Hockey: Lion queen Aymar reigns on way out

By Anendra Singh
Hawkes Bay Today·
13 Apr, 2014 06:00 PM5 mins to read

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The victorious Argentina hockey team after winning the inaugural Six Nations hockey crown in Hastings last night. Photo/Warren Buckland

The victorious Argentina hockey team after winning the inaugural Six Nations hockey crown in Hastings last night. Photo/Warren Buckland

She was the perfect diplomat last night, patiently signing autographs and posing for photographs for a vociferous army of hockey fans after Argentina became the inaugural Six Nations champions in Hastings.

But those smiling, hazel eyes of Luciana Aymar could not hide a certain tinge of sadness, not long after the Las Leonas (The Lionesses) comfortably overwhelmed Australia 3-0 on the final day of the nine-day Hawke's Bay Festival of Hockey.

The 36-year-old captain, who is the only player in the history of the sport to receive the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Player of the Year Award a staggering eight times, is contemplating hanging up her stick by the end of this year.

"I won't be playing in the [Rio] Olympics," she said when asked if Argentina would return to defend their Six Nations crown ahead of the summer games in Brazil in 2016.

Throughout the tourney and last night, the midfielder from Rosario has dazzled crowds with her silky skills. She has the innate ability to spy gaps, intercept passes, tackle with tenacity and find the goalmouth with aplomb.

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Asked when she would retire, a grinning Aymar replied: "This year. I think so because I always say the same ... I don't know.

"I think I've played lots of times in the national team [so] I want to rest," she said, ruling out coming back to the Six Nations next year.

Asked if she was contemplating settling down to have a family like teammate and defender Mariana Rossi, Aymar replied: "Yes, I think so, yes."

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Argentina would return home for a month to train before heading off to The Hague, the Netherlands, for the World Cup.

"I think with this thing [lifting up the Six Nations trophy] we can win the World Cup," said Aymar, who started playing as a 6-year-old in Rosario with Club Atletico Fisherton before moving across the city to play for the more distinguished Jockey Club de Rosario where she played alongside her elder sister, Cintia.

She has won two World Cup golds, five Champions Trophy golds, but none in the summer Olympics. She had to settle for silver medals in the 2000 Sydney and 2012 London Olympics.

The blue-and-white machine will be among the favourites in next month's World Cup but she felt the Dutch would have the edge as hosts.

Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Germany would also be among the mix.

She lauded the tournament organisers here and the crowd "but not the weather".

"It's always raining here. More sun," she said with a laugh as the unseasonal low pressure belt took hold of the Bay and a lion's share of the tourney.

The new Armistad Friendship Cup, Aymar said, would foster good relations and great rivalry on the turf between Argentina and New Zealand.

Considered the best female hockey player of all time, the Argentine has graced the front cover of many glossy magazines in a modelling career that is lucrative in its own right.

Her prowess has prompted South American fans to draw parallels with Argentine soccer idol Diego Maradona and nicknames such as "La Maga" (The Magician), "El Diego" and "La Maradona del hockey".

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World No1 Holland and No6 Germany could bolster the tourney next year as it evolves into an eight-nation one but the word is the event would have to be moved to early January.

If Germany, Holland and Great Britain decline, organisers are hoping the United States will round out the numbers.

Dutch assistant coach Rick Mathijssen was at the tourney last week, impressed with the standard of competition.

Just as they lost 3-0 in their round-robin game, the Australians started well but as the game wore on they were left chasing shadows and seemed bereft of ideas in the final third.

On the odd occasion they found an opportunity to score, they failed to take advantage.

Argentina went up 1-0 in the 28th minute from a Rocio Sanchez Moccia goal.

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Aussie striker Georgia Nanscawen had a chance to equalise a minute before the break after trapping Noel Barionuevo's clearance but goalkeeper Belen Succi parried.

The Argentines' chatter also picked up in the second spell as Aymar dictated terms to put them on the front foot with her fellow midfielders.

Delfina Merino dutifully finished off a cross at the far post to make it 2-0 in the 49th minute.

Anna Flanagan could have pulled one back had she made contact with a stick as the ball whizzed past the far post in the 64th but the diving keeper put her off.

The mute Aussies could only watch as Carla Rebecchi made it 3-0 five minutes later before calmly sitting back to keep possession in defence as the Aussies couldn't find a way through.

Australia captain Madonna Blyth said they let in an easy first goal and made too many errors.

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"We didn't play very well in the first game here but we've improved since then and we know we can play much better."

Blyth said she would have been pretty worried if it was their best team getting beaten before the World Cup.

She said the facilities here were world class and, although new, the turf held up well in the rain.

"It's a beautiful place to be and the better teams that come [Holland and Britain] the better the competition will be."

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