Australian Indoor World Cup squads narrowed down

The extended Australian Indoor hockey Men’s and Women’s World Cup squads have been selected following the recent Indoor Selection Camps in Melbourne and Wollongong.

Women’s Head Coach Mark Sandhu and Men’s Head Coach Steve Willer announced squads of 22 athletes for the next FIH Hockey Indoor World Cup to be held in Pretoria, South Africa from 5-11 February 2023.

“The selection camp was a highly competitive event making selection really difficult for the selection panel,” said Sandhu.

“Our depth is the best it has ever been and given the camp was in the middle of the field hockey season, the quality was really high.”

Of the players selected, Tegan Boucher and Emma McLeish will be attempting to make a record fourth Indoor World Cup appearance.

Kyah Gray, Ben Rennie and Thomas Sinclair will be aiming to compete at their third World Cup, while Tamsin Bunt, Elizabeth Duguid, James Knee, Emma McLeish, Madeleine Murphy and Jake Sherren have also previously taken part in indoor hockey’s showpiece event.

“It has been an exciting couple of weeks with these selection trials and confirmation from the International Hockey Federation of the next Indoor World Cup,” said Willer.

“The athletes have grabbed the opportunity with both hands and made the task of selecting the World Cup squad very competitive, putting on display the talent that is continuing to be developed in Australia.”

“I am looking forward to the next six months as we work together to become the best team we can for South Africa in February 2023."

Willer and Sandhu commended the Indoor Advisory Group and the national selectors across the country who have been integral in assisting in the selection process.

The World Cup Squads will be narrowed down to a final 12 players following the next selection event scheduled for later in the year.

All athletes in the World Cup Squad will be expected to attend the Hockey Australia Indoor Championships in 2023 leading into the Indoor Hockey World Cup.