IRELAND’s Olympic men’s hockey squad has been presented with their Team Ireland jerseys at a special event in Dublin.
The all-day event saw the 19-man squad joined by their coaches, friends and family to celebrate the official presentation of their team kit.
The attendees also enjoyed speeches made by representatives from the Olympic Federation of Ireland, Team Ireland and Hockey Ireland.
Lisburn man Sean Murray will be captaining the team throughout the Paris Games. Murray is one of eight Ulster players on the Irish squad.
Speaking after the event, Murray said that receiving the jersey was a very special moment for him:
“Getting the new kit is always exciting but to have a full day event from the OFI, Sport Ireland and Team Ireland and to make this happen with your family and friends, to represent them having had such an impact on our lives and, of course, on our sporting careers.
“To sum it up: A really, really special day.”
The Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games is being held on July 26. However, Murray and his team will not have much time to celebrate.
They begin their campaign the next morning, on July 27 at 9:30am Irish time, when they will take on Tokyo gold medallists Belgium.
Due to this, the team will be heading to Paris earlier than most of the Ireland contingent:
“We are lucky that we are one of the teams that gets to go out a week early, before the tournament actually starts,” Murray said.
“It will give us a nice bit of time to let us settle in and not be too overwhelmed by the time the tournament actually starts.
“It’s all becoming very, very real. I just can’t wait to get going.”
The Irish men will also play Australia, India, Argentina and New Zealand as they fight to progress out of Pool B and into the knockout stages.
Fixtures:
July 27 - 9:30am Irish time - Ireland vs Belgium
July 29 - 9:00am Irish time - Ireland vs Australia
July 30 - 12:15pm Irish time - Ireland vs India
August 1 - 12:15pm Irish time - Ireland vs Argentina
August 2 - 4:00pm Irish time - Ireland vs New Zealand
