Special Olympics GB and England Hockey to send first Field Hockey team to World Games

Special Olympics Great Britain and England Hockey have joined forces to send a squad of 10 hockey players with intellectual disabilities to represent the nation, for the first time, at the upcoming Special Olympics World Games in Berlin.

Field hockey, played in a 6v6 mixed format, has been named in the Special Olympics World Games programme for the first time at Berlin 2023. The selected players form part of an event delegation of more than 80 athletes who will represent Team Special Olympics GB at the world’s biggest inclusive sporting event of 2023, where around 7,000 athletes will compete.

In October, England Hockey invited players with intellectual disabilities from across England, Scotland and Wales to take part in an open trial day its national training centre at Bisham Abbey, Berkshire. Following this, seven male and three female players were named in the inaugural Team Special Olympics World Games squad.

Colin Dyer, Chief Executive of Special Olympics GB, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to partner with a national governing body, in England Hockey, to ensure that Special Olympics GB can participate in a new sport and for more athletes to have the incredible experience of competing at a World Games.

“Field Hockey is a completely new sport to the Special Olympics GB programme, but we hope that developing this first team for the exhibition event in Berlin 2023 can inspire more people to get involved in our sporting opportunities and, in turn, help people with intellectual disabilities build confidence, self-esteem and fulfil their potential.”

Field Hockey is one of 26 sports in the programme for the Berlin 2023 Special Olympics World Games, with 13 teams set to compete, including Netherlands, Germany, Argentina and Egypt. The Opening ceremony will be staged at the iconic Olympiastadion Berlin on 17 June.

The Team Special Olympics GB hockey team will be supported by Head Coach Steven Bradley, from Birmingham, and fellow coaches Jayne Crosse and Lochlann Kaye from Wakefield and Huddersfield respectively.

Steven Bradley said: “Several of our squad members have played in intellectual disability tournaments at a national and international level, but to experience a Special Olympics World Games and compete against so many other nations is a lifechanging opportunity to these athletes.

“We’re incredibly proud to be partnering with Special Olympics GB and see it as a great opportunity to build out our programme of hockey for children and adults with intellectual disabilities in two ways.

“We want to provide more support and training for existing Special Olympics GB clubs to offer hockey, but to also encourage more of our registered grassroots clubs to develop more inclusive teams. It’s a fantastic opportunity. Everyone at England Hockey is very excited at how this partnership can develop.”

Special Olympics GB is the UK’s largest provider of year-round sports training and competition for children and adults of all abilities with intellectual disabilities. More than 6,500 athletes are currently registered and are participating at one of the 95 accredited programmes within Scotland, England and Wales, which are delivered by a devoted team of around 3,500 volunteers.