Wednesday, October 25th.- Field hockey has kicked off at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, and the first celebration in this discipline belongs to the Canadian male's team. They secured a 2-0 victory over Brazil at the Centro Deportivo de Hockey Césped, located at the Parque Deportivo Estadio Nacional. 

The North American team triumphed in the Preliminary Group B, thanks to goals from Oliver Scholfield and Gordon Johnston, establishing a lead that the Brazilians couldn't equalize. 

Floris Van Son, a midfielder for the Canadian team, offered a measured analysis of this debut. "I feel it was a good start, especially because we managed to secure the victory. There were good and bad moments during the match, some setbacks, but it was good to have the win in our pocket and the points. I hope we can continue to advance in the tournament and improve in each game," he commented. 

Looking ahead, Van Son added, "The goal is really simple: we want the gold and to qualify for Paris 2024. These Games are our biggest chance to make it to the Olympics. It will be very challenging, but we will give our best. The idea is to keep progressing in the tournament, improve every game, play with a strong team in the final, and hopefully, secure the gold." 

At 11:30 a.m., the second match of Group B will be played, with the United States facing Trinidad and Tobago. Meanwhile, Group A will begin in the afternoon with Argentina playing against Mexico (5:30 p.m.) and Chile facing Peru (7:30 p.m.). 

The field hockey tournament, both for male and female, consists of two groups of four teams, with the top two advancing to the semifinals to compete for medals. 

It's worth noting that field hockey, both for male and female, at Santiago 2023 will offer direct qualification spots to the gold medal winners for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. 

Written by Patricio Echagüe and Macarena Navias; translated by Vicente Valdivia / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport
Ph: Felipe Poga / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport