A host of Team England stars ensured both the men’s and women’s Great Britain hockey teams sealed qualification for next year’s Tokyo Olympic Games.

Following a 3-0 win in Saturday’s Olympic qualifying play-off tie versus Chile, Great Britain’s women confirmed their ticket to Japan with a 2-1 second-leg victory courtesy of goals through Team England’s Laura Unsworth and Tess Howard to take a 5-1 aggregate win.

While two goals from Sam Ward helped steer the men’s side to a 5-2 second-leg qualifying win against Malaysia, having also beaten their opponents 4-1 the previous day.

The women’s squad will now seek to defend the Olympic title they won at Rio 2016, and for captain Hollie Pearne-Webb the hard work to make the final squad selection starts now.

“Since the Europeans we’ve had a massive block over the past six to eight weeks and we’ve made huge strides forwards which has been because of the squad and competition within it for places,” Pearne-Webb told Great Britain Hockey.

“Training has been a much higher standard because of that. We’ve got two weeks off now but when we get back in that’s when the hard work starts. All of us will be competing for a place now, there’s 16 seats on the plane to Tokyo which we know we’re going to, so the hard work starts now." 


Ali Jawad tops podium at English Para Powerlifting Grand Prix

Ali Jawad was back to his best as he took gold at the English Para Powerlifting Grand Prix.

The 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist topped his category with a lift of 173kg, ahead of fellow Team England para powerlifter Nathaniel Wilding who finished in silver medal position with a best lift of 170kg.

It marks an incredible comeback for Jawad who is currently battling Crohn’s disease.

Elsewhere Owen Boxall, Sarah Davies and Zoe Newson also secured gold medals in their respective weightlifting and para powerlifting weight categories.


Scarratt crowned women’s world player of the year

Former Team England rugby sevens star Emily Scarratt was crowned the women’s world player of the year at the World Rugby awards in Japan.

The 29-year-old, who was part of England’s bronze medal women’s sevens team at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games before reverting back to play 15s, topped the shortlist that also included team mates Katy Daley-McLean and Sarah bern.