BBC Sport

Watch highlights as Sam Ward scores twice as Great Britain beat Malaysia 4-1 in their men's hockey Olympic qualifier in Muscat, Oman.

BBC Sport

Great Britain men kick-started their Olympic qualifying campaign with a comfortable 6-1 win over Pakistan in Group A in Oman.

Jack Waller opened the scoring in the 10th minute before Sam Ward netted twice to hand Great Britain a 3-0 lead.

Will Calnan added a fourth but Hannan Shahid hit back to claim a consolation for Pakistan.

Zach Wallace and Nick Bandurak scored another two to add the gloss to an opening-game victory for Great Britain.

GB face Malaysia in their second Group A game on 16 January.

They need to finish in the top three in Oman to secure a place at Paris this summer.

GB's men have not won an Olympic medal since 1988 and missed out on a semi-final spot to India at Tokyo 2020.

BBC Sport

"We've never known what it's like to win a gold or be in a final, apart from asking the girls," explains Great Britain hockey men's captain David Ames.

"Now, though, we're able to not just compete, but pretty much beat anyone on their home patch."

Since making his Great Britain debut in 2015, Ames has experienced the "devastating" lows of early eliminations at the past two Olympics, while being a first-hand witness to GB women winning medals at each Games.

Last year, however, he guided a "transformed" men's team to a landmark European silver.

Read more, click here

Image source, Ames said winning European silver has been a game-changer for GB men's hockey

BBC iPlayer

How can I watch the qualifiers?

All Great Britain's matches, men's and women's, will be streamed live on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website and app.

Matches will also be available to watch on catch up on the BBC iPlayer.

Fixtures

GB Men

Thursday, 18 January

GB v China - 14:30

Saturday, 20 January

Semi-finals - 14:00 and 16:30

Sunday, 21 January

Final - 16:30; third-place play-off - 14:00

GB Women

Thursday, 18 January

Semi-final: GB v Belgium - 14:30

Saturday, 20 January

Final 17:00; third-place play-off 14:30

BBC Sport

Forward Nick Bandurak has quickly become central to the GB squad, scoring 42 goals in 52 combined GB and England appearances since making his senior debut in February 2022.

Meanwhile, Zach Wallace was recently nominated for the International Hockey Federation's World Player of the Year while Scotland's Lee Morton is capable of creating something out of nothing via his individual skills.

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Sport

Great Britain's men's and women's hockey teams have one last chance to qualify for the Paris Olympics this month and you can watch it on the BBC.

The women's team travel to Valencia for their qualifiers where they will face Canada, Malaysia and Spain in Pool B.

Meanwhile, the men's team take on China, Malaysia and Pakistan in Pool A in Oman.

Both teams need to secure a place in the top three of their respective tournaments to qualify for Paris 2024.

How can GB qualify for Olympics?

Five men's and women's teams have already booked their place at the Paris 2024 Olympics, along with hosts France.

The Netherlands, Australia, Argentina and South Africa's men's and women's teams all earned direct qualification, along with India's men and China's women.

That leaves six places remaining and 16 teams, including both Great Britain and Ireland, will look to secure their place at the summer tournament via a final round of qualifying matches beginning on Saturday, 13 January (women) and Monday, 15 January (men).

Image source, Great Britain's men finished fifth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, missing out on a semi-final place to India

BBC Sport

How do I start?

• Play Hockey, external is a good place to start for those who are new to the game or interested in coming back to it after years away. Simply type in your postcode to locate your nearest club.
• In England, external and Wales,, externalBack To Hockey is a campaign offering people of all ages either a complete introduction to the game, or a return to hockey if you've had a break from it.
• The Scotland,, external and Northern Ireland,, external hockey associations will also direct you to clubs in your area.

But what is hockey?

• Hockey is in some ways like football. It's an 11 a-side team game, where the aim is to score a goal in the opposing team's net.
• Each player passes a small hard ball around the pitch with a hooked stick.
• A match is 70 minutes, with two halves, and the winner is the team which scores the most goals.

Is it for me?

• There are different variations of the game, so hockey is for everyone, regardless of age, ability or gender. There's also a real social side, with a culture of team bonding off the field.
• It is very common to have two or more generations of a family in one team.
• It's also a very gender-equal sport.
• After Team GB women won Gold in Rio,10,000 people picked up a stick at their local hockey club.

What to expect when I start?

• Hockey clubs are welcoming to beginners and are likely to help out with equipment and advice.
• You don't have to be an expert in fitness, it is accessible for every level of fitness, ability and body shape.
• The sport can be mentally stimulating, will improve your fitness and your hand-eye co-ordination.
• For children, matches can be smaller-sided, played on any surface, and use larger, lighter and safer balls.
• Or you could always look for a club like Bromsgrove that offer walking hockey sessions.
• Flyerz' hockey,, external in England have a range of specific sessions for the visually impaired or blind, those who are deaf or hearing impaired, people in wheelchairs, those with learning disabilities, and people with ADHD, Aspergers or Autism.
• There are also a range of disability options in Wales, external, Scotland,, external and Northern Ireland., external