Ames and Sloan out of Argentina trip

The ongoing unavailability of David Ames and Ian Sloan sees a couple of new faces included in Andrew Meredith’s first Ireland squad as the green machine gears up for the Champions Challenge I in Argentina later this month. The Cookstown duo, both currently plying their trade with clubs in England, are the only two absentees from an 18-man panel that contested the Olympic qualifiers in March. Neither has donned the green jersey since, although Sloan has not played any hockey in months as he continues his recovery from a broken metatarsal. He is hoping to make his Loughborough debut in the next month or so. Their continued absence has sparked fears that the pair may be tempted by a switch to Great Britain, following in the footsteps of fellow Ulster men Iain Lewers and Mark Gleghorne.

Such a move would require a three-year “wilderness period” back-dated to the last time they lined out for Ireland. Neither player has revealed their intentions while the Irish Hockey Association have said nothing beyond Ames and Sloan being “currently unavailable for selection”. UCD hitman Shane O’Donoghue and Banbridge all-rounder Bruce McCandless are the players to benefit as Ireland head to Quilmes later this month, their participation only secured by a fundraising drive that yielded 60,000 in four days after the IHA board initially and controversially withdrew them from the competition. Meredith selected the squad off the back of a five-day training camp in Holland with 15 of the 23 who were at that camp selected while full-time workers John Jermyn, Timmy Cockram and Paul Gleghorne have also been added to the panel. Speaking about the selection, Meredith said: “The Champions Challenge in Argentina will provide a great test for the team, in what should be an extremely close and difficult competition. “I would expect that a number of the teams will view this as an excellent opportunity to qualify for the 2013 Champions Trophy, and to gain very valuable world ranking points, and, given the history of recent results, Ireland would be viewed as being among those teams. “The tournament presents a very good platform for me to have a good look at where we are in terms of experience and positional coverage, in a challenging environment against quality opposition.” Ireland face hosts Argentina on November 24, Japan on November 25 and South Africa on November 27 before the quarter-finals get underway on November 29. Ireland squad for the FIH Champions Challenge I in Quilmes, Argentina:Christopher Cargo, (Reading, England), Peter Caruth (Braxgata, Belgium), Timothy Cockram (Lisnagarvey), Mitch Darling (Three Rock Rovers), David Fitzgerald (GK, Monkstown), Paul Gleghorne (Instonians), Ronan Gormley (Krefeld HC, Germany), Conor Harte (SCHC, Holland), David Harte (GK, SV Kampong, Holland), John Jackson (Braxgata, Belgium), John Jermyn (Royal Pingouin Nivellois, Belgium), Stuart Loughrey (Bath Buccaneers, England), Eugene Magee (Krefeld HC, Germany), Geoff McCabe (Santander, Spain), Bruce McCandless (Banbridge), Andy McConnell (THC Hurley, Holland), Shane O’Donoghue (UCD), Michael Watt (SCHC, Holland)