The bright star of Lithgow hockey Lachlan Sharp has been named in the 18-man squad the Kookaburras are taking to the Gold Coast for the Commonwealth Games, starting on April 4.
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The selection of Australia’s hockey representatives for the Games were announced on Friday, March 16.
“I wouldn’t say I was confident I was going to get in, you are never confident when you are being picked out of a squad of 27. I was obviously excited to get picked. I think the win at the Azlan Shah Cup went along way to getting the selection,” Lachi said.
Lachi played a role in clinching Australia’s 10th Azlan Shah Cup win earlier this month, scoring the winning goal for Australia in the grand final against England.
“That was a pretty special moment,” he said.
Lachi said his teammates were “pretty confident” in their ability to bring home a gold from the Games.
“They are pretty confident, especially being ranked world number one. I think the closest team is ranked seventh so there’s a far gap in the rest of the field.”
Lachi will be doing high intensity training for the next few weeks to prepare for the Games.
“I think five or even six days a week,” he said.
The 20-year-old attacking mid-fielder only joined the Kookaburras squad in February. At the time he said making the Commonwealth Games squad was his goal for the year.
Already Lachi has made a significant difference in the international competitions Australia played over the last six months.
In December 2017 he was selected to make his Kookaburras debut at the International Hockey Federation World League Final in India, at which he was named Junior Player of the Match in the grand final against Argentina.
After his debut with the national men’s hockey team, it was announced in January that Lachi had been selected to join the Kookaburras Squad for 2018, for which he moved to Perth.
Within just a month of being assigned to the Kookaburras, Lachi produced his maiden international goal.
To the delight of his teammates he scored doubles in the deciding match of the Kookaburra’s test series against the Netherlands in Perth.
On the back of his performance against the Netherlands, Lachi was chosen to be part of the 18-man squad that contested the highly competitive Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Perak, Malaysia, earlier this month, which Australia won.
The Kookaburras came up against hosts Malaysia (12th), Rio Olympics gold medallists Argentina (second), India (sixth), England (seventh) and Ireland (10th), finally beating England in the grand final.
Sharp scored Australia’s second goal in the 53rd minute of the match, capitalising on the rebound of a penalty corner.
England retaliated but were unable to find the back of the net for the second time, leading Australia to win 2-1 and take home its 10th Azlan Shah Cup.
Before heading off to Perth this year Lachi Sharp was playing for Zig Zag, Ryde Hunters Hill and the NSW Waratahs in the Australian Hockey League.
