COMMONWEALTH GAMES SPECIAL

Holcombe hockey pair Barry Middleton and George Pinner will be aiming to better the bronze medal they won at the Glasgow Games in 2014.

Both players were involved as England beat New Zealand in a penalty shoot-out, putting behind them bronze medal defeats in the previous two Commonwealth Games.

That equalled the best previous performance for the men’s team at the Commonwealths, when they won bronze in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.

Middleton, with over 400 international caps, knows they have hard work to do before thinking about going for gold.

The 34-year-old said: “That is the dream (to win gold) and that is what we are going to try and do.

“But it’s little steps along the way and not looking too far at the end game.

“It’s about concentrating on the group stage and getting through that first – that is the big thing.

“We are excited for it. In terms of ranking points, it doesn’t mean anything but in terms of the sport, the excitement, being on TV and getting the publicity, it is a massive one.

“With the other sports going on around us, it does feel like there is more of a buzz to it than other tournaments.”

Goalkeeper Pinner, 31, has been with Holcombe since 2014 and he’s looking forward to the prospect of battling for international honours again.

“None of the group games are going to be easy,” he warned.

“But we’ll be looking to get out of the group, make it to the semi-finals and see where we go from there.

“As an athlete, you go to these tournaments dreaming of winning a medal and hopefully a gold one. Having tasted winning a medal, albeit a bronze, at the last one, it would be great to be on that podium again and hopefully a bit higher up.”

Pinner won’t be short of support. His wife Jo Hunter has been called up to the women’s team, as an injury replacement.

He said: “It is nice to go out there together rather than one of us being left at home.

“You are both focussing on your own games but in the down time it is nice to be able to speak to each other face to face rather than over facetime.”

Both Middleton and Pinner have missed several club games because of international commitments, including the final weekend.

Pinner said: “It has been frustrating not to be able to play for the club and to help them but it is the way it is currently as an international player.

“Your country does come first and decisions are made while trying to support and help clubs. We all know success on the international stage is what is going to drive the game and decisions have to be made with that in mind.”

Middleton, who along with Pinner has helped Holcombe settle into the top-level of men’s hockey, said: “The last year has been harder because the international stuff has taken over a bit more.

“Some years are better than others. We have been a bit unlucky as to when the tournaments have fallen.”