Ireland’s Olympic bound hockey team in €225,000 funding shortfall

Ireland’s Olympic-bound men’s hockey team will bid to make up a €225,000 funding shortfall as they ramp up their preparations for this summer’s road to Rio.

Craig Fulton’s men, the first Irish hockey team to qualify for an Olympics in 108 years, learned their fixture fate this week. They’ll play five games in just seven days during the pool stages.

Seventh-ranked India are first up for the Green Machine on August 6 with world top three sides Germany and Netherlands following in quick succession. A result in either of those would generate momentum for a must-win game against Canada before they finish up their pool campaign against Argentina.