Following its success in the Champions Trophy and the Commonwealth Games this year, the Australian team is keen to do well in the Hockey World Cup and ensure an unhindered flow of Government funds till the Tokyo Olympics.
In Australia, hockey is one of the sports which will receive the funding till the 2020 Games. “It is very important that we continue to get the funding.
“Obviously, it is linked to our performance. It is good to have the funding consolidated right till Tokyo. I think the team has earned that with their performance over the last two years. But we would like to perform well here because then the players will get more funding,” said Australia coach Colin Batch.
“If we are knocked out early in the tournament, then it can affect our funding. So, it is important to play well here and be successful.”
Australia is focusing on defending its title to achieve a rare hat-trick. “It’s great that Australia has such a proud history in World Cups…but this is a completely different group. We have now got 10 guys making their debut at World Cup… We are not taking it as pressure but as a challenge,” said Aran Zalewski, one of the two co-captains of the side.
Zalewski said having two leaders was never a problem. “Me and Eddie (Ockenden) are not only great friends but bring different strengths to the team and complement each other.”
