New Delhi: The German team practiced at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium for the upcoming Hero Hockey World League 2014. The team is all set to meet New Zealand in its first match of the tournament scheduled to start on 10th January 2014.
Speaking on the tournament Coach, Markus Weise, Germany said, “This League is a good platform for the boys as the next big tournament is the World Cup and hence becomes important for the team to perform well here. Today the team worked on the technical aspect during the training session and we are looking forward to New Zealand on Friday. The present team has some players missing but we are still confident about the tournament and hope to live up to the expectations of our fans and countrymen”.
Speaking post the practice session, Captain of Germany Oliver Korn said, “This League is like the final stage before we enter the World Cup. This League is a huge opportunity for the new players as the next destination will be the World Cup. The pressure and responsibility really adds up when the senior players are missing in the team and it’s a great honor for me to lead this team”.
Germany
Current FIH World Ranking: 1
How they qualified: 1st place - Hockey World League Semi Final, Johor Bahru (MAS)
About the team: 2013 has been yet another great year for Germany. Building on an incredible 2012 which saw the side become Olympic champions for the second time in succession, the team coached by Markus Weise powered to glory at the Tri-Finance EuroHockey Nations continental championships before taking a first place finish at the Hockey World League Semi Final in Johor Bahru. They will be hoping for even more success in 2014, and you wouldn’t bet against them achieving it. A first place finish in the Hockey World League Final would being the perfect preparation for their World Cup title challenge.
One to watch: Tobias Hauke. An extraordinary holding midfielder who rarely puts a foot wrong. At the age of just 26, Hauke is a double Olympic medallist and has set his sights firmly on glory both in the Hockey World League and at next year’s Rabobank Hockey World Cup.