CAH’s photo.
Mariano Ronconi, technical director of the Argentine men’s field hockey team, set out to “achieve Olympic qualification” at the 2023 Pan American Games, whose competition in the discipline will begin this Wednesday.
“The challenge we set for ourselves, clearly, is the Olympic classification that this tournament generates by providing a place. So we are going for that and we hope we can achieve it,” Ronconi acknowledged in an interview with Télam.
The coach, leading the team since December 2021, will be accompanied on his coaching staff by Matías Vila (technical assistant); Ezequiel Paulon (technical assistant); Martin Elli (team leader); Lucas Peña (Video analyst); Leonardo Romagnoli (physical trainer) and Ignacio Ledesma (goalkeeper coach).
The Argentine men’s field hockey team competed in fourteen editions of the Pan American Games in which they won the gold medal ten times (Winnipeg 1967; Cali 1971; Mexico 1975; San Juan 1979; Havana 1991; Mar del Plata 1995; Santo Domingo 2003 , Guadalajara 2011; Toronto 2015 and Lima 2019), and four times the silver medal (Caracas 1983; Indianapolis 1987; Winnipeg 1999 and Rio de Janeiro 207).
The Lions called up for the Pan American appointment are Thomas Santiago, Juan Ignacio Catan, Nicolas Cicileo, Nicolas Della Torre, Federico Monja, Tadeo Marcucci, Augustin Bugallo, Thomas Habif, Matthias Rey, Santiago Tarazona, Lucas Toscani, Maico Casella, Thomas Domene, Augustin Mazzilli, Nicholas Keenan, Lucas Martinez, Nehuen Hernando and Bautista Capurro (the latter two in reserve capacity).
The Argentine team, winner of the gold medal at the 2022 Odesur Games, will share in Group A with Mexico (Wednesday 25, 5:30 p.m.), Chile (Friday 27, 7:30 p.m.) and Peru (Sunday 29, 11:30 a.m.). The first two, as in Group B (Canada, United States, Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago), will advance to the semifinals to fight for the medals and the ticket to Paris 2024.
CAH’s photo.
This year, the Argentine team finished in ninth place in the World Cup that took place in India and won the title of the Pan American Cup of the discipline, by beating local Chile 5-1 in the city. from Santiago, in January; while in the FIH Pro League they reached 18 points in 16 games of which they won three, drew six – with three bonus points in their favor – and were defeated seven times.
-Télam: What challenge did you set for yourself for the Pan American Games?
-Mariano Ronconi: Clearly it is the Olympic classification that this tournament generates by providing a place. So let’s go for it and hopefully we can achieve it.
How do you define the Argentine team that will compete in Chile? What characteristics does it have and what are its greatest strengths and weaknesses?
I define the team as being in the consolidation stage, after the Tokyo process that has been going on for two years. There was a very big generational change, and well, now the kids are in this situation. And with respect to the greatest virtues, I like to define it as an intense team, that likes to have the ball and attack a lot. He feels very comfortable in a ball position. Clearly the issue to be careful about, and to improve and be attentive to, is the defensive transition or what we call defense into attack.
How was the preparation for the Pan American Games and at what level will the team reach?
The preparation was very good, extensive and intense. We had a work window in Argentina with all the players for almost three months, with concentrations, which was optimal. And now we are at this moment in another concentration in Europe, in the Netherlands, more precisely, where we play friendly matches with Ireland and with local clubs. This concentration was super important. Thanks to the Sports Secretariat, Enardimiento and the Argentine Hockey Confederation who supported us to be able to come and hold this concentration so close to the Pan American Games. It was really very necessary and we are enjoying it a lot, so we will arrive in the best way.
Who are the rivals with whom Argentina will fight for medals?
The clearly rivals with whom Argentina will fight for the medal or those who are in the highest ranking are Canada, the United States and Chile. They are the three strong rivals that I imagine we will have in the crossroads and, God willing, in the final.
The coach of the Argentine rowing team, Pablo Susini, stated in an interview with Télam that “they will give satisfaction to the country” at the Pan American Games in Chile in October. And hockey?
Let’s hope that hockey also brings a lot of joy to the country in these Games.
What are the team training like? How many days per week and how many hours per day?
The team’s training sessions are every day, from Monday to Friday, and would be approximately four hours, which consists of approximately an hour and a half in the gym, and then two hours on the court, perhaps a little more. In some weeks also some double shifts in the afternoon.
Are all the athletes who will go to Chile awarded scholarships by the National Sports Secretariat and the National High Performance Sports Entity (Enard). How do you evaluate this support?
Clearly this support is very important for the player, understanding that hockey is an amateur sport in Argentina, semi-professional in Europe, but in Argentina it is one hundred percent amateur. The players pay to be able to play for their clubs, so the support of both Enard and the Sports Secretariat is very important, substantial and not only with the player’s scholarship, but also with the support for the tours that we are doing at the moment. , for the Pro League. We have support from both Enard and the Sports Secretariat and the Argentine Hockey Confederation. Regarding the support we are super happy and we feel very supported with respect to that.
-A concept of Argentina’s rivals in Zone A of the Pan American Games: Chile, Mexico and Peru?
All rivals are important for us. Absolutely no one should be underestimated, but among the three, clearly, Chile is the strongest team, it is the one that has been growing much more and has more development, with some players playing in Europe, so clearly the strongest rival in the zone is the Chilean team.
2023-10-23 17:52:00
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