Sean Murray from Lisburn has been officially appointed as the captain of the Irish men’s hockey team by the Olympic Federation of Ireland. The team is set to participate in the upcoming Paris Olympics. Among the selected players, goalkeeper David Harte from Cork and Shane O’Donoghue from Dublin are returning members from the 2016 Rio Olympics squad.
The team secured their spot in the Olympics when they overcame Korea with a 4-3 victory in the qualifying rounds held in Valencia earlier this year. The hockey matches for the Paris Olympics are scheduled to take place in Yves-du-Manoir Stadium, which previously served as the primary venue for the eighth Olympiad in 1924.
The Irish men’s hockey team has been drawn in Pool B where they will face teams from Belgium, India, Australia, Argentina and New Zealand. The team’s opening contest will be against Belgium scheduled for July 27th.
An excited Sean Murray expressed his honour and pride on being chosen to represent Ireland at a prestigious sporting event. He acknowledged the hard work that led the team to this victory and expressed their anticipation to compete.
Reflecting on the selection process, Mark Tumilty, the head coach, expressed his satisfaction with the final team line-up. He acknowledged the hard work of all and empathized with those who missed their opportunities.
The team includes players; David Harte, Lee Cole, Shane O’Donoghue, Kyle Marshall, Peter McKibbin, Tim Cross, Daragh Walsh, Nick Page, Sean Murray, Michael Robson, Peter Brown, Johnny McKee, Jeremy Duncan, Matthew Nelson, Ben Walker, Ben Johnson and reserves; Jonny Lynch, Alistair Empey, and Jaime Carr.
The team’s supporting staff comprises of Lisa Jacob as performance director, Ray Geddis as team manager, Neville Rothman coach, physiotherapist Cameron Steele, performance analyst Ross Willis, Eoin Cunniffe head of athletic performance and AP GK coach David Fitzgerald.