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The Irish women’s hockey team will put their Olympic dreams on the line this month at a qualifying tournament in Valencia.
2024 means the Paris Olympics are just around the corner.
A group of hockey players will be competing in an important qualifying round in Spain this month.
The Irish women’s national team will play against Belgium, South Korea and Ukraine.
To qualify for the competition, Ireland must finish in the top two in their pool, reach the semi-finals, advance to the final or win the third-fourth place match.
Chloe Watkins returns to the squad and the 237-times-capped Dubliner said it would be an ideal start if he could take the Belgian’s scalp in the first game.
“It’s a really competitive group and a very competitive tournament as well,” she told the Weekend Sports Podcast.
“I think Belgium reached the final of the European Championship and they have been doing really well in the last few years.
“It’s a tough opening game, but if we can get a result, it will be a dream start and the pressure will definitely be lifted for the next two games, which will be even more of a target for us.”
“Continuing to qualify for major tournaments like the Olympic World Cup is very important. We have been able to qualify for the World Cup in quick succession and now we have achieved it again. It would be quite a feat to be an Olympic sport.
“It really raises the bar and allows us to develop the game more by giving it more exposure.”
“Without a doubt, we’re good enough to qualify. It’s just a big challenge to actually go out there and achieve that. But, you know, we’ve been doing it for the past few months. I’ve been training a lot and hard and I think I’m ready to compete.” ”
Ireland will play in Pool A, starting with a match against Belgium on January 13th, followed by a match against Ukraine on January 15th, and concludes Pool A with a match against South Korea on January 16th.