ARGENTINA is back on its feet after purchasing a new set of hockey sticks and all other equipment in preparation for the defence of their Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup from Dec 5-16 at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
The Los Leoncitos (Little Lions), a moniker for the Argentinean junior side, have put behind the ugly episode of their ‘missing’ equipment and luggage on arrival in Kuala Lumpur from Buenos Aires a few days ago.
Head coach Juan Ignacio Gilardi, said:” We have bought new hockey sticks, playing shoes, protective gear, and everything that was needed. It cost us a lot of money. We don’t know when our equipment will arrive, although we have been told it should arrive on Sunday or Monday.
“But we are not going to sit here and take our chances. Hence, we bought new equipment, and I believe it was the best solution as we need to prepare the team quickly for the World Junior Cup, which is only a few days away.
“It was a good decision to be able to train on the pitch fast and get used to the new hockey sticks, shoes, and everything. Our hockey federation must claim compensation from the airlines for the unnecessary trouble and expenses we had to go through,” he said.
He added that the episode had momentarily affected the players as frustration grew, but they are mentally strong and cheerful now and looking forward to their first match against Australia.
Gilardi was a defender and drag-flick specialist at the Rio Olympics while his assistant, Ignacio Ortiz scored the third goal in Argentina’s 4-2 victory over Belgium in the final.
“At the beginning, they were very frustrated with the situation faced and as they could not train. But we have dealt with the situation with our mental strength and ability to deal with adversities.
“We played with new sticks and new shoes, and we had a good friendly match against the Netherlands (on Sunday). We won 4-1. Maybe we were lucky. For the rest of the tournament, we will use the new sticks. Both teams played three quarters session,” added the coach.
“It was just a lucky win for us. Nothing great in that victory. We thank the Netherlands for giving us a chance to play in this friendly match considering the situation we had on hand. The players adapted well to the situation and we are happy now. This is the first time in my 20 years of playing hockey and as an official that I have experienced this kind of situation.
“Maybe we can expect one or two misplaced bags, but not the entire playing kit and players’ clothing luggage. We paid a lot of money to purchase these new items,” he added.
He acknowledged that it was a big disappointment when the team trained so hard to be here to perform well in the Junior World Cup, only to be faced with a rare situation like this.
Nothing has gone right for the Argentinians on their way to Kuala Lumpur for the Junior World Cup. First, their flight was delayed by seven hours during transit, and then their equipment and luggage did not arrive. But one thing is certain, they are adapting well to the pitch and the climate.
“We love the pitch, and the stadium is so nice. The players are excited as they have never seen a hockey stadium like this. They are motivated to win the title and take home good memories only,” said Gilardi.
