hockey">
August 2, 2022 – 01:29
Matías Di Pauli from Salta will be the goalkeeper of the Argentine Masters Team at the event that will begin on August 12 in Nottingham and relates his position on the court with the idea of being a superhero.
Matías Di Pauli (40) defines himself as “half crazy”, he has things that make him “different”, as they say in sports jargon. But with his feet on the ground, he managed to earn a place in the world of hockey, a discipline he knew nothing about, which he has practiced since 2004 and which he says is “the sport he would always choose.”
His position is that of archer, with which he claims to be in love. He performs in the first and intermediate classes of Gymnastics and Shooting and in a few days he will have one of the most important challenges of his career: to defend the Argentine goal in the World Masters of Hockey that will be played in Nottingham, England, from next August 12 .
He will be part of the team over 40 years old that next Saturday will travel to that part of the world to face seven other nations in the first round; if they come out first they will qualify for the final, where they will have the chance to be world champions.
That step that he will take in a few days is preceded by others that built the path that had as its starting point the invitation to join hockey made by Diego Kram, a friend and a reference in the specialty in the white club.
Foto: GyTOficial
“Diego saw me playing soccer and asked me if I was interested in playing hockey and being a goalkeeper. I told him ‘yes, let’s try’, and I liked him so much that I realized that it was the sport for me. I went to the goal, I stayed there and I perfected myself in the position”, Matías recounted about his beginnings in hockey and added: “I fell in love with the sport and it is the one I would always choose”.
The thing with Matías and hockey was love at first sight and he explained why it happened that way. “The fact of being an archer and putting on those protections is related to the idea of being a superhero who puts on a suit and I have liked Ironman all my life. It’s half crazy what I say, but yes, I’m half crazy. In addition, the fact that it is such a small ball and that it travels at a very high speed and being able to catch it gives you tremendous satisfaction”, Di Pauli described.
It is different because of its way of being and also because in all sports where archers are used, they are the ones that differ from the rest because of their clothing and implements (helmet, kickers, legguards, gloves and stick); also, because it is the team’s last line of defense.
“If the striker loses a ball or makes a mistake, there is the midfielder who can help; if the midfielder does the same thing, the defender is there, but if the goalkeeper is not focused the whole game and makes a mistake, the board sounds and it’s a goal. I always liked that adrenaline of being on the line and it is a constant challenge. You have to be right in the head to be a goalkeeper, ”said Di Pauli about his position.
Within his progress, Matías highlights the figure of Sergio Ramos, another emblem that gymnastics hockey has. “Sergio is a hockey legend from Salta and he is my friend. When I started playing in Gimnasia y Tiro he offered me to train before the rest of the squad and from that time we added specific jobs, him in his striker aspect and I in mine, which is the goal. For me it is a pride to train with him, because he has an immense quality”, he expressed and also thanked the extra work with the goalkeeping coaches Matías Aguirre and Franco Yoroslav.
The player will travel accompanied by members of his family, who do not want to miss the opportunity to see him defend the Argentine goal in a World Cup. On Saturday they will leave for England, they will enjoy a few days of relaxation and on August 10 he will enter the concentration to get fully into the goal of being world champion.
Rivals and fixture
There will be 14 teams that will participate in the Masters World Cup in Nottingham. They will be divided into two groups of seven selected each and the Argentine belongs to B, which also includes Spain, the United States, Australia, Scotland, Italy and Malaysia. England, France, Germany, South Africa, Ireland, Sri Lanka and Wales will compete in Group A.
Argentina will debut on Friday 12, at 9 (Argentine time), against Malaysia; Then the matches will follow against Italy (Saturday 13), Scotland (Sunday 14), Australia (Tuesday 16), Spain (Friday 19) and the United States (Saturday 20). Those who finish first in each group will qualify for the World Masters final.
