Kookaburras Set to Battle for Olympic Gold in Paris 2024

The Kookaburras, Australia’s men’s hockey team, are all set to kick off their campaign at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The action starts on July 27, and all matches will be held at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium in Paris.

Field hockey has a rich history at the Olympics, making its debut in 1908. While the sport has seen a few absences, India stands out as the most successful nation, boasting 12 medals, including eight golds!

Apart from India, the Kookaburras are the only other team with a remarkable double-digit medal count. In fact, they have reached the podium 10 times in 16 appearances, with one gold medal earned during the Athens 2004 Games.

The Kookaburras are a stellar team, transitioning from the Olympics in Barcelona 1992 to London 2012 where they consistently secured medals—a feat accomplished by no other Australian team across all sports.

In the previous Olympics at Tokyo 2020, the team was mere moments away from clinching their second gold but found themselves losing to Belgium in a nail-biting penalty shootout.

Australia will begin their quest for Olympic glory against Argentina, the champions from Rio 2016, in Pool B. The group also includes reigning champions Belgium, along with India, Ireland, and New Zealand.

Fans can look forward to a rematch of the Tokyo 2020 final when Australia faces Belgium again on July 31, with another thrilling clash against the eight-time gold medalists, India, happening on August 2.

The tournament format involves a single-headed round-robin, with the top four teams moving on to the quarter-finals beginning August 4. The medal matches will take place on August 8.

Leading the Kookaburras will be Aran Zalewski, while Eddie Ockenden is set to make history as the first Australian hockey player to compete in five Olympics. He will also proudly serve as one of the flag-bearers at the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony.

The Kookaburras arrive in Paris full of confidence after clinching the FIH Pro League 2023-24 title.

The team will feature several seasoned athletes, including five who are three-time Olympians and seven players from the Tokyo campaign. It’s worth noting that Eddie Ockenden is on track to become Australia’s most decorated hockey player by participating in his fifth Games.

The squad includes key players such as goalkeeper Andrew Charter, defenders Joshua Beltz, Matthew Dawson, and Jeremy Hayward, alongside midfielders Flynn Oglivie and captain Aran Zalewski. Forwards like Tim Brand and Tom Wickham will also strive for victory.

Fans can watch all the Kookaburras’ matches live through streaming services 9Now and Stan, and they can also catch the action on Network Nine‘s TV channels across Australia.