Call-up for ex-’Burne aces
Kelburne Hockey Club will once again be well-represented on the national stage after a raft of call-ups for their former players.
In total, six ex-Kelburne men have been selected by David Forsyth for the upcoming Five Nations tournament in Malaga, where they will ramp up their preparations for this year’s Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast.
It will provide the players with the opportunity to cement their spot in the Scotland side for the Games, with the Gold Coast announcement scheduled to be made following the competition in Spain, which begins next week.
The action gets under way on Monday, January 29, before wrapping up on February 3.
The Paisley contingent is made up of Kenny Bain, Michael Bremner, Alan Forsyth, David Forsyth, Willie Marshall and Lee Morton – with all six hopeful of making the cut for the games, when ex-Kelburne head coach Derek Forsyth makes the call.
Scotland, ranked 23 in the world, will go toe-to-toe with the highly-ranked Spain (8), Ireland (10), Canada (11), and USA (26) in the Malaga round robin tournament.
The Blue Sticks will be looking to carry their exceptional form from last year, where the team won EuroHockey Championship II and qualified for the World League semi-final, into 2018.
And excitement is already building in anticipation of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games following the draw for the tournament.
The Scotland men have been drawn in Pool A with Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa.
The Men’s Pool B has India, England, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Wales drawn together.
Scotland men’s head coach Derek Forsyth said: “We’re very much looking forward to the Five Nations tournament in Malaga against some top sides. It’ll be a good test for the players.
“Selection for the Commonwealth Games will be made after the tournament and every player has the opportunity to be selected to represent Scotland in the Gold Coast in April.”