HQ Academy Trip to the Mirnawan Cup in Malaysia
Published Wed 20 Nov 2024
The Hockey Queensland Pathways team recently took a cohort of Hockey QLD Academy athletes to the Mirnawan Cup for 11 days in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The HQ Academy fielded both Women’s and Men’s teams in the U17 international tournament, competing against National Teams from Malaysia, South Africa, Canada, Austria, Japan, and Korea.
The Women’s team, led by experienced Queensland coach Ben Fitzpatrick, finished as runners-up to a strong Japanese team. It was an outstanding coaching effort and a remarkable achievement for a state team, especially being short on players for both the semi-final and grand final matches.
The Men’s HQ Academy team, under the leadership of Head Coach Amy Ryan, finished in 6th place.
“The Queensland U17 Men had an experience that was valuable beyond estimation. They competed against national sides from 4 different continents which tested their technical, tactical, mental, and physical performance against these nations’ best U17 players. The trip was embedded with an important cultural experience that will no doubt have a lasting impact on them as hockey players but more importantly, people,” said Amy Ryan.
This tournament was a truly unique experience for these players - exposing them to a high level of competition and professionalism, while providing an eye-opening look at a vastly different part of the world.
Thank you also to Kris Hooley for being team manager for the group.
