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Tom Craig (field hockey)

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Tom Craig
Personal information
Full name Thomas William Craig
Born (1995-09-03) 3 September 1995 (age 28)
Lane Cove, New South Wales, Australia
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 85 kg (187 lb)
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current club Klein Zwitserland
Senior career
Years Team
NSW Pride
2021–present Klein Zwitserland
National team
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2016 Australia U21 19 (9)
2014– Australia 101 (29)
Medal record
Men's field hockey
Representing  Australia
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo Team
World Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Bhubaneswar
Oceania Cup
Gold medal – first place 2015 Stratford
Gold medal – first place 2017 Sydney
Gold medal – first place 2019 Rockhampton
Gold medal – first place 2023 Whangārei
FIH Pro League
Gold medal – first place 2019 Amstelveen
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Gold Coast Team
Champions Trophy
Gold medal – first place 2018 Breda
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Bhubaneswar

Thomas William Craig (born 3 September 1995) is an Australian field hockey player who plays as a midfielder for the Australian national team.[1]

Career

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Junior national team

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In 2016, Craig was a member of the Australian Under 21 team, 'The Burras', who were victorious at the Junior Oceania Cup, which served as a qualifier for the Junior World Cup.[2] Craig was also a member of the team at the Junior World Cup in Lucknow, India, where the team finished fourth.[3][4]

Senior national team

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Craig made his senior international debut in a test series against India in 2014, before competing the Champions Trophy in Bhubaneswar, India.[5]

Craig has become a regular inclusion in the Australian team since his debut, and most notably was a member of the team at the 2018 Commonwealth Games where the team won a gold medal.[6]

In November 2018, Craig was named in the squad for the Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar, India.[7] The Kookaburras came 3rd, after losing the semi-final to the Netherlands (2-2 Regular time, 4-3 Shootouts), but beating England 8–1 in the Bronze Medal match. Craig scoring 4 Goals from the tournament, including the Hattrick in the Bronze Medal match.[8]

Craig was a part of the team that won the Inaugural FIH Pro League[9] in 2019, Defeating Belgium in the Grand Final 3–2, scoring 3 Goals for the Kookaburras throughout the Campaign.

Craig was selected in the Kookaburras Olympics squad for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The team reached the final for the first time since 2004 but couldn't achieve gold, beaten by Belgium in a shootout.[10]

Domestic Hockey

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In 2019 Craig was a member of the NSW Pride that took out the Inaugural Hockey One competition alongside fellow Kookaburras selected from the Tournament, including Flynn Ogilvie, Tim Brand, Lachlan Sharp, Matt Dawson, Kurt Lovett and Blake Govers.[11] After the 2020 Summer Olympics he joined Dutch Hoofdklasse club Klein Zwitserland.[12]

Arrest during 2024 Paris Olympics

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Craig was a member of the Kookaburras and was in Paris to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics. After departing a team function on the evening of 6 August, Craig was arrested in Paris for allegedly purchasing cocaine from an underage dealer. The incident occurred in the 9th arrondissement, a well-known area for its nightlife. Craig was taken into custody after being spotted by undercover French police making the purchase. Craig attempted to run away from police for a short while before realizing he could not evade the pursuing officers.[13] Craig expressed deep regret and apologized publicly for his actions. He admitted his mistake, emphasizing that it did not reflect the values of his family, teammates, the sport, or the Australian Olympic Committee. Following his arrest, he was released with a warning after spending 18 hours in custody.[14][15]

Hockey Australia and the Australian Olympic Committee confirmed that Craig was acting alone and that his actions were not representative of the team. They also announced that Craig would face an internal investigation to determine any further sanctions. Craig, who had already moved out of the Olympic village, also lost all remaining Olympic privileges as a consequence of the incident.[16][17]

Personal life

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Tom's girlfriend, Alice Arnott, is a player for the Hockeyroos, the sister team of the Kookaburras. Tom is also a qualified solicitor.[13]

References

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  1. ^ "Tom Craig". Hockey Australia. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  2. ^ "AUSTRALIA WIN SECOND GAMES AND CLOSE OUT THE SERIES". Oceania Hockey Federation. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  3. ^ "Uttar Pradesh Hockey Junior World Cup Men Lucknow 2016". International Hockey Federation. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  4. ^ "Australia". International Hockey Federation. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  5. ^ "CRAIG Tom". International Hockey Federation. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  6. ^ "Tom CRAIG". Gold Coast 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  7. ^ "Kookaburras Team Announced For World Cup Defence". Hockey Australia. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  8. ^ "FIH". www.worldcup2018.hockey. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  9. ^ "FIH Pro League". www.fihproleague.com. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  10. ^ "Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo 2021". The Roar. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  11. ^ "Kookaburras Squad Announced For 2020". hockey.org.au. Hockey Australia. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  12. ^ "Ook Klein Zwitserland Komt Met Versterkingen Richting Nieuwe Seizoen". hoofdklassehockey.nl (in Dutch). 3 June 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  13. ^ a b https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/olympics/hockey/aussie-hockey-athlete-arrested-on-suspicion-of-buying-cocaine-at-2024-paris-olympic-games/news-story/edaabf21535c4ff6e2151406a870afd9?amp
  14. ^ Juanola, Michael Chammas, Marta Pascual (7 August 2024). "'I've embarrassed you all': Hockey star released as photo emerges of cocaine arrest". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 August 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ "Aussie hockey player apologises after Paris cocaine arrest". Australian Financial Review. 7 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  16. ^ Ralph, Jon (7 August 2024). "Aussie hockey athlete arrested on suspicion of buying cocaine at 2024 Paris Olympic Games". The Herald-Sun. Retrieved 7 August 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ "'I've embarrassed you all': Australian hockey player Tom Craig arrested in Paris trying to buy cocaine". ABC News. 7 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
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