EHL: Top class officials team confirmed for EHL FINAL8

To allow the best club hockey competition in the world flourish, the ABN AMRO Euro Hockey League is always pleased to bring the world’s best officials to the event.

This Easter’s edition at the Wagener Stadium is no different with the team being led by tournament technical delegate Sylvie Petitjean. She is among the officials who will oversee the Paris Olympic Games alongside technical officer Sonja Schwede.

They are joined by Andreas Knechten (technical officer) and judges David Acheson, Igor Capan, Edna Rutten and Cocky Stam-Heijkoop to ensure everything runs smoothly on the competitions front.

On the field, Coen van Bunge, Sarah Wilson, Alison Keogh and Laurine Delforge are also Paris-bound from the line-up of umpires appointed to the EHL FINAL8, bringing a wealth of know-how and experience.

All have umpired GRAND FINALS before. For van Bunge, it will be his ninth EHL competition having overseen both the 2019 and 2021 men’s finals.

Scotland’s Wilson took charge of the 2022 men’s final as well as the EuroHockey Championship 2023 decider in Mönchengladbach. Keogh – from Ireland – did likewise, umpiring the women’s EuroHockey final last August as well as the 2023 EHL final.

Delforge, meanwhile, has taken care of four EHL finals and will be in the Wagener Stadium for her fourth successive Easter weekend at the EHL.

Her Belgian compatriot Sébastien Michielsen has been another fixture at the EHL for the past few years, blowing the whistle at the last five Easter competitions, dating back to 2019.

England’s Paul Walker will officiate at his fourth EHL event and brings the knowledge from over 70 outdoor international fixtures.

Shane O’Donnell is at his third EHL tournament having umpired in a BRONZE MEDAL match in 2022. Michael Dutrieux is also at his third EHL off the back of his involvement in six matches at last August’s EuroHockey Championships.

England’s Rebecca Edwards debuted in the EHL last October in Barcelona and subsequently was at the Olympic qualifiers in January in India; she has over 30 senior international games under her belt.

They will be joined by three rising names on the umpiring circuit who will be making their debuts in the competition.

For Lithuania’s Kamile Mockaityte, it continues her incredibly busy six months – she has taken part in the EuroHockey Indoor Championship in Berlin, Indoor Club Cup in Alanya and the Junior World Cup in Chile. She is currently at African Games in Accra.

Spain’s Sandra Adell is another who was at the Junior World Cup in Chile and has recently been elevated to the FIH Pro League panel of umpires.

And Lukasz Zwierzchowski adds to his growing CV which includes recent appearances at the EuroHockey Indoor Club Cup in Vienna, the Junior World Cup in December in Kuala Lumpur, the Hockey 5s World Cup in Muscat and the Indoor World Cup in Pretoria.

They will work with another pair of umpire managers – Fanneke Alkemade and Paco Vazquez – who both are former Olympic officials and will impart their insight to the third team.