With the preparations nearly complete the start of the Australian Youth Olympic Festival (AYOF) is looming large for Great Britain’s youth hockey teams in Sydney.

GB Women update

On Wednesday, the GB Youth women, with Scots Becky Wad, Laura Bartlett in the main squad, begin the defence of the gold medals they won in 2007 as they take on India at the Hockey Centre in the Sydney Olympic Park. 

The men, with Scotland’s Kenny Bain, Gordon McIntyre and Ross Stott amongst them, will be looking to go one better this time around after taking silver in 2007, narrowly losing the final on penalty strokes to Australia.

Both sides have undertaken a demanding training schedule ahead of the AYOF including domestic training sessions, a training camp in Spain and two weeks’ preparation camp in Sydney.

The two squads have also played a series of training fixtures against New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) and Australian U21.  On Wednesday 7 January, the women beat NSWIS 2-0 before overcoming Australia U21 4-2; In Sunday’s rematch GB came from behind to draw 2-2 with Australia U21.

Having won two and drawn one of their warm-up matches the women have adjusted well to the conditions, which at some times have meant playing in temperatures well over 30 degrees centigrade. 

Head Coach Craig Parnham is looking forward to the tournament beginning: “The three warm up games have provided us with a good opportunity to adjust to the conditions and time zone.  The players have all come through unscathed and have produced, at times, some strong performances.  India in the first game is a bit of an unknown and will challenge us.  It will be a new style of play [to cope with], which will be a good experience for the team.”

See an interview with Scottish Olympian Laura Bartlett on Youtube: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ivYvNoj-1Is&feature=channel_page

GB Men Update

The GB Youth men have also played three training matches in the past week.  A double from Kelburne’s Kenny Bain proved the difference in a 5-3 win over NSWIS, before they lost 2-0 to Australia U21, a game in which they hit the woodwork twice in the first half.  NSWIS provided the opposition again for the final training match which resulted in a 4-1 defeat.

With the focus on acclimatisation and development rather than results this past week, GB Youth men’s Head Coach Bobby Crutchley feels his side has made good progress since arriving in Australia:  “The three warm-up games have provided us with a good opportunity to acclimatise sufficiently.  Outside of the Junior World Cup, the players rarely have the opportunity to take on the likes Australia, India and Malaysia and so this will be an excellent opportunity for the squad.  We have already shown signs of development since our training camp in Spain and so we look forward to playing Malaysia in match one of the tournament.”

The purpose of the AYOF is to provide future Olympic athletes with an environment reminiscent of an Olympic Games and to promote the Olympic ideals of friendship, solidarity and fair play.  Of Great Britain Hockey’s 2007 youth teams, Ashley Jackson, Laura Bartlett and Charlotte Craddock all went on to compete at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. 

Wednesday 14 January
0900 (local), 2200 (Tues) GMT – Great Britain (M) v Malaysia
1100 (local), 0000 (GMT) – Great Britain (W) v India
Thursday 15 January
1300 (local), 0200 (GMT) – USA v Great Britain (W)
1500 (local), 0400 (GMT) – India v Great Britain (W)
Saturday 17 January
0900 (local), 2200 (Fri) (GMT) – Australia v Great Britain (M)
1100 (local), 0000 (GMT) – Australia v Great Britain (W)
Sunday 18 January - Classification Matches
0800 (local), 2100 (Sat) GMT - Men’s Bronze Medal Match
0800 (local), 2100 (Sat) GMT - Women’s Bronze Medal Match
1030 (local), 2330 (Sat) GMT – Men’s Gold Medal Match
1300 (local), 0200 (GMT) – Women’s Gold Medal Match

SQUADS
Great Britain Youth Women’s Squad for 2009 AYOF
Name (Home Nation & Club)
Laura Bartlett (Scotland & Milne Craig Western)
Sophie Bray (England & University of Birmingham)
Susie Gilbert (England & University of Birmingham)
Takara Haines (England & Trojans)
Jenny Hall (England & Canterbury)
Maddie Hinch (England & Loughborough University)
Katie Long (England & Leicester)
Dilly Newton (England & Clifton)
Sarah Page (England & University of Birmingham)
Harriet Pearce (England & Clifton)
Lauren Turner (England & Leicester)
Georgie Twigg (England & Clifton)
Laura Unsworth (England & Loughborough University)
Becky Ward (Scotland & Dundee Wanderers)
Hollie Webb (England & Cannock)
Nicky White (England & Loughborough University)
Reserves
Sophie Robinson (Wales & Leicester)
Amy Gibson (Scotland & GHK)

Great Britain Youth Men’s Squad for 2009 AYOF

Name (Home Nation & Club)
Ben Arnold (England & Beeston)
Kenny Bain (Scotland & Kelburne)
David Beckett (England & Loughborough Students)
Nick Catlin (England & Loughborough Students)
David Condon (England &Loughborough Students)
Richie Dawson-Smith (England & Bowdon)
Marc Edwards (England & Loughborough Students)
Simon Faulkner (England & Loughborough Students)
Chris Gregg (England & Loughborough Students)
Johnny Kinder (England & Fareham)
Gordon McIntyre (Scotland & Kelburne)
Lewis Prosser (Wales & Team Bath Buccaneers)
Ian Scanlon (England & Hampstead & Westminster)
Martin Scanlon (England & Loughborough Students)
Ross Stott (Scotland & Kelburne)
Henry Weir (England & Loughborough Students)
Reserves
Gavin Byers (Scotland & Menzieshill)
Tom Millington (England & Loughborough Students)