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| Human Interest | |
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General Interest | |
| Other information | FOURTH OLYMPICS The 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro will be his fourth Olympic Games. “They're all different and that's the beauty of it. Because they are four years apart the teams are so different and there's different emotions going into it. The first couple were great experiences but we didn't deep down think we could win it. London we went with a hope of winning it and this one [2016] we want to go there and achieve something. We aren't just there to enjoy the food and the village; we are there to play hockey and to succeed like any other hockey tournament.” (greatbritainhockey.co.uk, 29 Jun 2016) RECORD CAPS On 24 May 2014 he became the most capped English hockey international when he played his 308th international game. The match, against Australia at Bisham Abbey in Buckinghamshire, was his 203rd appearance for England. He had also won 105 Great Britain caps to that date. The previous record holder was Russell Garcia with 307 GB/England caps. (pushhockey.co.uk, 24 May 2014) HOCKEY INDIA LEAGUE He competed for the Ranchi Rays franchise in the 2015 and 2016 editions of the Hockey India League [HIL], a professional hockey league in India. He previously represented the Ranchi Rhinos franchise in the 2014 edition of the HIL. (telegraph.co.uk, 14 Nov 2013; mid-day.com, 25 Jan 2015; starsports.com, 26 Jan 2016; deccanchronicle.com, 20 Jan 2014) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Club / Team | Holcombe: England |
Further Personal Information | |
| Higher education | Sports Science - Loughborough University: England |
General Interest | |
| Hobbies | Sports. (englandhockey.co.uk, 18 Jan 2014) |
| Injuries | He was ruled out of the 2010 Championship Trophy in Germany after breaking his toe in a training match. (bbc.co.uk, 27 July 2010) He missed the first two matches of the 2006 World Cup in Monchengladbach, Germany, due to a hamstring injury. (englandhockey.co.uk, 2006) |
| Memorable sporting achievement | Captaining the England team to gold at the 2009 EuroHockey Nations Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (greatbritainhockey.co.uk, 01 Jan 2015) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Why this sport? | He became involved in hockey through his parents, who coached a junior team. |
General Interest | |
| Hero / Idol | English hockey player Sandy Lawson, Welsh hockey player Jonathan Redfern. (englandhockey.co.uk, 18 Jan 2014) |
| Awards and honours | He was named in the International Hockey Federation's [FIH] All-Star team in 2008, 2009 and 2010. (englandhockey.co.uk, 18 Jan 2014) He was named on the shortlist for the FIH Player of the Year award in 2008, 2009 and 2010. (tylersports.co.uk, 11 Nov 2011) He was named Hockey Athlete of the Year by the British Olympic Association [BOA] in 2004, 2007 and 2009. (Athlete, 28 Jan 2010; hgc.nl, 02 Dec 2009) He was named as the UK Hockey Writers' Club Player of the Year in 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2012. (hockeywritersclub.com, 12 May 2016) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Name of coach | Julian Halls [club], GBR; Bobby Crutchley [national], GBR |
| Preferred position / style / stance / technique | Midfielder |
| Handedness | Right |
| When and where did you begin this sport? | He took up the sport at age eight at Doncaster Hockey Club in England. |
International Debut | |
| Year | 2003 |
| Competing for | England |
| Opponent | Belgium |
| Tournament | Friendly Match |
| Location | England |
Further Personal Information | |
| Occupation | Athlete |
| Languages | English |
General Interest | |
| Nicknames | Borry, Piddleton, Bazza, Brian (Athlete, 27 Jun 2008; sports-reference.com, 2012) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto | "Work hard, play hard." (englandhockey.co.uk, 18 Jan 2014) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Footedness | Right |
General Interest | |
| Ambitions | To win gold at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (greatbritainhockey.co.uk, 29 Jun 2016) |