Kerry’s men book Tokyo spot after Forsyth claims hat-trick

Danny Kerry praised his side’s work ethic after Great Britain men secured their spot at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with a 9-3 aggregate win over Malaysia.

Two Sam Ward goals and an Alan Forsyth hat-trick ensured Britain booked their ticket for the Games in the second of their two Olympic qualifiers at the Lee Valley, where they claimed 4-1 and 5-2 victories over consecutive days.

Kerry took charge of the men’s side in September 2018 after replacing Bobby Crutchley and is regarded as the most successful coach in British hockey, having guided the women’s team to their historic Olympic triumph at Rio, a European gold and their highest ever world ranking.

Britain’s men had ambitions of targeting a medal at the Rio Olympics but failed to make it out of the group stages, as they secured just one win.

“This group had a really difficult time in Rio and they have a lot of history,” said Kerry. “We’ve worked hard to bring this group back together. Bobby did a really great job the year after Rio and we’ve worked really hard to move on and build belief. That’s a bigger job than you think, and I’m excited for the lads. They’ve grafted for six weeks.”

After missing out on a medal for the first time in 12 years at this year’s Eurohockey Championships, Britain will head to Brisbane in January as part of the squad’s heat and humidity training in preparation for Tokyo.

When asked whether he had entertained thoughts about emulating the Olympic success he enjoyed with Great Britain’s women’s team, Kerry said: “I don’t tend to think about that – it’s just the lads and what we need to do. Honestly, it doesn’t cross my mind.”