On the opening evening of the Birmingham Commonwealth Video games, Eddie Ockenden marched into Alexander Stadium, carrying the Australian flag with the broadest of smiles. A properly-known servant of Australian hockey for 16 years, Ockenden modified into as soon as a neatly-liked desire for the distinction. His excellence with the hockey stick and his humility away from the pitch were on present all all over again on Monday because the Kookaburras carried out the Video games with a gold medal.
A decider pitting the silver and bronze medallists at closing twelve months’s Tokyo Olympics against every diversified soon grew to develop correct into a mismatch as Australia trounced India 7-0 in a romp to the gold medal. This modified into as soon as seventh heaven for Australian hockey, with the Kookaburras having claimed all seven tournaments when the sport modified into as soon as played in the Commonwealth Video games. Australia have now received 41 of the 42 suits they’ve played at this level. In finals, the blended scoreline reads 33-2. Routs have modified into routine.
Ockenden, who equalled Kookaburra astronomical Designate Knowles as a four-time gold medallist, has now featured in four memorable campaigns. An Olympic gold is the missing allotment. He has a silver medal from Tokyo and bronzes from Beijing and London. Even supposing 35, he harbours ambitions for Paris in 2024.
“It has been noteworthy. You received’t fetch anything else else on your lifestyles it is most likely you’ll well make so passionately,” Ockenden stated. “With the scheme to play hockey for see you later and make what I’ve been ready to make, I if truth be told were very fortunate.”
The Australians scored from seven of their 23 shots for scheme whereas restricting India to correct 5 attempts. It might maybe possibly most likely well very properly be argued Indian keeper PR Sreejesh did properly given the barrage. Jacob Anderson and Nathan Ephraums scored two targets every, whereas Blake Govers, Tom Wickham and Flynn Ogilvie were also on the scoresheet.
Captain Aran Zalewski shared the co-captaincy with Ockenden and modified into as soon as stout of reward for the Tasmanian who’s aloof running around “esteem a spring chicken”. “He’s played a epic amount of video games for the Kookaburras, however he is this form of humble man and astronomical fella,” he stated.
After the Diamonds recorded the nation’s 1,000th Commonwealth Video games gold medal on Sunday evening, the Kookaburras took the tally to 1,001 on Monday. Silver and bronze medals were also claimed in diving, alongside with any other silver in table tennis, on a smaller program of events leading into the closing ceremony.
Jian Fang Lay and Minhyung Jee were overwhelmed 3-0 by a Singapore aggregate in the women folks’s table tennis doubles closing. However for Lay, 49, winning any other silver medal 20 years after managing the identical feat on debut for Australia in Manchester is a celebration in itself. “I am so joyful with that effort. It is unbelievable,” she stated.
Australia ended the Commonwealth Video games with 67 gold medals, 11 sooner than second-positioned England. The Australians claimed 178 medals general to edge the host nation by two. Other than Glasgow in 2014, the Australians have topped the table in every Commonwealth Video games since 1990.
Minhyung Jee (left) and Jian Fang Lay in movement against the Singaporean duo of Tianwei Feng and Jian Zeng. Photograph: Darren England/AAPAustralian chef de mission Petria Thomas, who contributed 9 of these golds one day of a properly-known swimming profession, praised the squad for the excellence of their performances.
“It is an honour to manual this crew and keep our Aussies shine every on and off the topic,” she stated. “The crew has performed on the topic of play and, on the final, correct the vogue they’ve conducted themselves out and about, they’ve been astronomical ambassadors for Australia.”
Thomas did concede there modified into as soon as an occasional blemish. Eyebrows were raised when cricketer Tahlia McGrath played the closing despite testing obvious for Covid-19 on the morning of the match. It modified into as soon as within the foundations of this competition.
Australia instituted stricter suggestions than diversified worldwide locations when it came to Covid precautions, though about a of the virtually 700 athletes did stretch the boundaries. First rate coffee stores had an increasing selection of athletes including these carrying the inexperienced and gold because the Video games went on.
“We no doubt made it very determined to our crew contributors what the expectations were around our Covid protocols. However having stated that, of us are human. They originate mistakes,” she stated. “There were some of us that didn’t wear masks for numerous causes at diversified times. However on your entire, we have achieved a handsome appropriate job.”
Joining Ockendon as a flag bearer, the embellished diver Melissa Wu modified into as soon as given the distinction of leading a triumphant crew into Alexander Stadium to shut the Video games. A silver medallist in Melbourne in 2006 as a 13-twelve months-frail, Wu added any other highlight to her profession when partnering 14-twelve months-frail Charli Petrov to a gold medal in the 10m synchronised platform in Birmingham.
The 30-twelve months-frail had planned to ride about a slices of pizza whereas looking out at the closing ceremony from the athletes village, however modified into as soon as desirous to comprise the distinction. “I will be somewhat overwhelmed by it. I’m correct going to if truth be told use all of it in and ride it. It’s going to be a astronomical second,” she stated.