Owen earns England call

Ice hockey Table tennis

A young ice hockey player from Ashford has been called up by England for the first time.

Owen Dell is in the under-14 squad for a tournament in Austria at the end of March.

The 13-year-old, a pupil at Towers School, came through a series of trials in Sheffield to earn his place.

Dell and his England team-mates will be up against ice hockey super-powers Canada and the USA when they travel to Zell am See, in Salzburg, next month. He woke up to the good news last Friday. Dad Rob said: “He’d been nervous and apprehensive in the run-up because he knew he was going to find out that week. We got the email late on Thursday night and when he woke up for school on Friday, we were able to show it to him.

“He was grinning like a Cheshire cat when he read it. He was so excited.

“He’s quite a modest lad, not one to shout from the rooftops but he’s proud. We all are – me, his mum Karen and sister Ava.”

Dell, a forward, joined Invicta Dynamos aged five and has represented the South East for the past three years.

He was spotted by national selectors and invited to trials, with backing from his school when he needed time off to travel.

Rob added: “The school have been so supportive. The trials are a lengthy process.

“They were ongoing from August and he had to travel to Sheffield each time, so it was a big commitment.

“He’s played for the South East since under-11s but this is his first England call-up.

“They’ll be up against strong teams – Canada, USA, the Czech Republic and possibly Germany. It’ll be tough but a great experience.”

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