The Hockey Writers’ Club has landed two major sponsors for next week’s annual awards lunch in London – a gathering which will kick-start Olympic year for the sport and the journalists covering it.
England’s players celebrate their penalty shoot-out EuroHockey final victory over the Netherlands last August
Investec, who support the women’s national hockey league as well as the England and Great Britain women’s teams, will sponsor the 2015 women’s player of the year award.
And Mercian, the leading kit supplier, will sponsor the men’s player of the year award.
Higgins Group will continue their long partnership with the Hockey Writers Club by sponsoring the youth and junior Awards.
Holcombe’s Iain Lewers and Canterbury’s Susannah Townsend were last year’s HWC players of the year.
This year’s awards will be presented at the HWC annual lunch at the Royal Thames Yacht Club next Wednesday, January 20.
The awards’ lunch, with more than 100 in attendance, will look ahead to the Rio Games and also look back at a successful 2015 for English hockey.
This includes England’s women winning their first EuroHockey Championship title in 24 years when they overcame The Netherlands to take gold in a thrilling shoot-out at Lee Valley in August.
Much will also be made of another major tournament to be hosted in London later this year – the women’s Champions Trophy in June, which features the world’s top eight teams.
England Hockey chief executive Sally Munday will be in attendance at the HWC lunch next week, while International Hockey Federation (FIH) president Leandro Negre will be a guest speaker.
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This year, the SJA’s nominated good cause is The Journalists’ Charity. To find out more and how you can donate on a one-off or regular basis, go to www.journalistscharity.org.uk
