University of Stirling students Rohan Marwaha and Lewis McGuiness joined the Scotland men’s U21 hockey team in the EuroHockey U21 Championship II-A.
The team beat Czechia in the final to secure a place in the PIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup. This was last achieved for the Scotland side over two decades ago in 2001.
The squad sailed through the tournament winning all four of their games leading to a promotion to the top-tier EuroHockey U21 Championship.
McGuiness, the team’s goalkeeper and University of Stirling athlete, said “it was a great experience…making history is always amazing, especially for the future generation of players.”
Women’s Hockey Success
21-year-old Lexie McMillan, also a University of Stirling athlete, joined the Scotland Women’s U21 squad as they qualified for the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup. This has only happened four times in the past.
For the first time in 24 years the team have held onto their position in the A division.
Lexie describes representing Scotland as a forward for the U21s as “a huge honour.
“Competing against some of the best junior teams in the world and beating Ireland in the final match…made all our hard work pay off.”
Both the men’s and women’s EuroHockey Championships are leading competitions in European hockey. The best national teams compete at senior and age-group levels to determine rankings and titles, with these tournaments also used as opportunities to qualify for global events.
Hockey at Stirling
The university’s Director of Performance Sport, David Bond, celebrated the athletes achievements. He said “representing your country is always a tremendous honour.”
Bond emphasised Rohan, Lewis and Lexie’s “hard work, commitment and resilience” which got them to their current positions.
“To help Scotland become European champions and qualify for the Junior World Cup for the first time in 25 years is a fantastic achievement.
“Lexie has also played an important role in helping the women’s team secure only their second-ever appearance at the Junior World Cup.
“We are incredibly proud of all three athletes. Their success reflects not only their individual talent and dedication, but also the strength of the performance environment we have at Stirling.”
Featured Image Credit: University of Stirling/Jim Payne
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