Bateman decides to quit Irish panel

IRISH hockey goalkeeper Wesley Bateman has decided to retire from international competition.

The 30-year-old Cork Harlequins player, who was an integral part of the Irish team which won the recent European Nations Cup in Rome, will not now be part of coach Dave Passmore’s plans as he prepares the team for the World Cup qualifying competition in Beijing next April.

Bateman is the second player from the winning Nations Cup side to call an end to his international career, following a similar announcement last week from Gordon Elliot and he said last night that the decision was one he had made some time ago.