Field Hockey Canada names final roster for Olympic Games

The roster of the Canadian men's field hockey team has been officially declared, sending 18 athletes to the Olympic pitch for the first time since Sydney 2000.

"It has been a seven-year struggle to get to these Games during which we did not qualify for any major event and we failed to qualify for Athens 2004," Wayne Fernandes told Field Hockey Canada. "Qualifying for Beijing is the achievement of a lifetime."

Fernandes, a Mississauga, Ont., native, has been dreaming of going to the Olympics since the age of 10. He was one of the 18 selected for the team, which is ranked 15th in the world.

The players were nominated for the Olympic squad on June 30 by FHC and head coach Louis Mendonca (of Thornhill, Ont.). The roster comprises a mix of veterans and newcomers.

Anthony Wright (of Vancouver, B.C.), who is a third-generation Olympian and will be on the team with his brother Philip, said his personal goal is to "make a strong contribution to the team and carry on the family Olympic tradition."

Following parents, grandfather

Anthony and Philip will be following the footsteps of their mother, father and grandfather as the fourth and fifth members of their family to compete at the Olympics.

Another set of siblings will join the Wrights on the pitch. Rob and Peter Short (of Victoria) will also battle it out for Canada, with Rob holding the distinction of being Canada's most experienced player, with 271 caps. He has also been named team captain.

Scott Sandison (of Mississauga) has been a member of the national team since 2002, and will be competing with three metal plates in his jaw after breaking it while competing in March. To protect his injury, he wears a mask.

"I want these Games to be the peak of my career. I want to go to Beijing and leave without any regrets," he said.

Team veteran Paul Wettlaufer (of North Vancouver, B.C. ), who has also competed at three Commonwealth and three Pan Am Games, said that having missed out on Athens made this Olympics particularly special.

 "I was at the Olympics in 2000 and had a great experience but I want to appreciate the seven years that it took us to rebuild and get to the point where we are at now…all of that experience."

'Trained hard for years'

"These athletes have trained hard for years, they love field hockey and are so proud to be nominated to represent Canada on the Olympic world stage — they will give their absolute best. I am confident that our top eight goal will be reached at the Beijing Games," said Mendonca.

"Qualifying for the 2008 Olympics was a feat in itself, because we are a very small nation as far as the game is concerned. We will be meeting nations such as Pakistan that are drawing from pools of millions of players — in Canada we have a pool of 10,000, but we play with heart and soul," said Canadian team manager Ajay Dube.

The team begins a week of training on July 4 in Vancouver. Another camp will be held in Victoria from July 17 to 23.

They'll kick off their Olympic quest in an opening match against Australia (ranked second in the world) on Aug. 12.

Canada will then face Pakistan (ranked sixth) on Aug. 14, the Netherlands (ranked third) on Aug. 15, Great Britain (ranked eighth) on Aug. 17, and South Africa (ranked thirteenth) on Aug. 20.

The gold medal game will be played on Aug. 24. Canada 's best Olympic placing was 10th for the men's team in 2000, 1984 and 1976; and fifth for the women in 1984. The women did not qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games.

Other players representing Team Canada include Ranjeev Deol (of Campbellville, Ont.), Connor Grimes (of Duncan, B.C.), Ravi Kahlon (of Victoria), Bindi Kullar (of Surrey, B.C.), Mike Mahood (of North Vancouver), Mark Pearson (of Tswawwassen, B.C.), Ken Pereira (of Unionville, Ont.), Marian Schole (of Vancouver), Sukhwinder "Gabbar" Singh (of Surrey), Scott Tupper (of Vancouver) and David Carter (of Vancouver).