Next weekend, the Euro Hockey League arrives in England for the very first time in the six year history of the competition. The competition will be played at East Grinstead, the home club of England and Great Britain star Ashley Jackson. EHLHOCKEY.TV, the official website of the Euro Hockey League, took time to speak with the 2009 FIH Young Player of the Year ahead of this exciting competition.
Q: What does it mean for East Grinstead – and especially your team – to play hosts to Round 1.2?
Ashley Jackson: "It’s fantastic for the club, not only the team that plays out on the pitch, but for the team off the pitch behind the scenes that make all this possible."
Q: Do you think your team will benefit from the home support?
AJ: "Yes, of course. We as Team GB got to experience home advantage at its very best over the summer so even if we could capture a tiny percentage of that it’s set to be a great place to play over the weekend."
Q: What does your team want to achieve in the EHL this season?
AJ: "Obviously most teams will set out to win, which of course we also have, but at the same we have a young and exciting team so we are looking to try and go as far as we can and really push ourselves in each game and round."
Q: EG Chairman Simon Longhurst said about you “Ashley Jackson is one the examples of someone that kids want to be and it would be great to showcase more Ashley Jacksons to young British kids”. How does that sound to you?
AJ: "It sounds great to me. As I said, we have a young and exciting team mixed with some world class internationals and at any time it be anyone that provides that special moment that grabs everyone’s attention."
Q: In which way can role models influence the young generation of hockey players?
AJ: "Hopefully inspiring the next generation to get out and play the sport, play it for all the right reasons. Enjoy themselves, meet new people and have fun, both on and off the pitch."
Q: Why did you choose to become a hockey player and not choose another sport?
AJ: "I’ve always played other sports through growing up, from ice hockey to cricket, from golf to hockey and I guess I just fell further into hockey first. Who know what would have happened if it had been another sport first."
The Euro Hockey League Round 1.2 at East Grinstead takes place from Friday 26th until Sunday 28th October 2011. Teun de Nooijer's HC Bloemendaal is amongst the teams taking part in the tournament. Full details regarding the match schedule and information about ticket sales can be found on www.ehlhockey.tv
Source Material: Euro Hockey League
