The 14 action-packed days of Olympic hockey have been a beautiful commercial for the game, with greater than 340,000 followers attending in individual and video games broadcast around the globe. The sporting legacy is usually raised when the most important sporting spectacle leaves city.
Positioned simply outdoors the principle spectator entrance, the Hockey Initiation Zone provided guests the prospect to study extra concerning the sport. Younger and previous alike have been in a position to choose up a stick and a ball, with varied enjoyable challenges and inflatable rinks offering nice leisure.
Many previous and current gamers have been readily available, together with Irish goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran, Argentine legend Delfina Merino and gamers from the French males’s and ladies’s groups that competed on the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium.
The largest title was Argentine famous person Luciana Aymar, the eight-time FIH Participant of the 12 months and one of many best gamers of all time. She harassed the significance of the Hockey Initiation Zone and her duty in selling the game. “As former gamers, we have now an necessary position to play wherever we are able to,” mentioned Aymar. “This can be a nice technique to introduce folks to hockey and produce it to households as a result of hockey is a household. I’m all the time making an attempt to develop and promote the game that I’ve beloved a lot.”
A sentiment echoed by France’s males’s ace Timothée Clément, who beamed with happiness all through his go to to the Hockey Initiation Zone. “It’s necessary to return right here and play with the youngsters,” mentioned the winner of the 2021-22 FIH Hockey Stars Younger Participant of the 12 months Award. “Once I was younger I beloved doing this stuff, enjoying and assembly worldwide gamers. I really feel it’s important for me to do the identical, particularly right here on the Olympics in my dwelling nation.”
Apart from the necessary promotional work finished by the Hockey Initiation Zone – which welcomed greater than 25,000 folks over the 14 days of the match, lots of whom have been making an attempt the game for the primary time – Clément spoke brazenly concerning the alternative to introduce his sport to new audiences.
“It was very cool to play in France, as a result of so many French followers got here out to help us, though they don’t know a lot about hockey,” mentioned the 24-year-old attacker, who scored 4 objectives in 5 video games at Paris 2024. “I hope that folks get extra excited about enjoying this wonderful recreation. I imply, it seems like folks have actually loved coming right here and being part of it.”
His sentiments have been echoed by French girls’s group gamers Paola Le Nindre, Victoire Arnaud and Eve Verzura. “We normally play in entrance of 100 folks. To have 10,000 folks chanting our title and singing ‘Allez les Bleues’ in a pleasant environment was wonderful! Above all, we launched hockey to France and many individuals thanked us for that,” they mentioned.
The Gory household we spoke to within the Hockey Initiation Zone have been one among many French sports activities followers who purchased hockey tickets on a whim. After making the almost six-hour journey from their dwelling in southwestern Dordogne, they advised us they have been drawn by the fascinating historical past of the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium – the venue that hosted the 1924 Olympics and plenty of different iconic sporting occasions.
“We purchased tickets for my dad as a result of he is aware of a lot about this stadium,” mentioned Lilian Gory, as she kicked a ball round along with her father, Philippe, and sibling Solène. “It’s so thrilling to be right here on the Olympics and it’s cool to attempt to watch one thing like hockey, which is totally new to us.” They have been one among numerous French households getting their first style of hockey, and whereas their groups didn’t carry out as hoped, it was clear from the deafening noise that they beloved each second of the motion.
It could be a few years earlier than we all know the true influence of Paris 2024 on hockey participation in France, however there may be already a really actual legacy for Timothée, Paola, Victoire, Eve and their fellow French gamers. The gleaming new stadium constructed to host Pitch 2 matches at Yves-du-Manoir is ready to turn into the brand new dwelling of the French Hockey Federation (FFH), offering a central base for many years to return.
“We’ve got by no means had a house for hockey earlier than, so that is implausible for French hockey. We’ll play our French league finals there, and hopefully another large competitions after that. It’s such an excellent factor for us, loopy for the game in France,” mentioned Timothée.
