Ball hockey star sets sights on Slovakia

A sports student from Barnsley College has said it was an "amazing feeling" to play for his country at the Ball Hockey World Championships.

Ball hockey is an off-ice variant of ice hockey, with players swapping trainers for the usual skates.

Jacob Mansell, 17, will play for England at the International Street & Ball Hockey Federation (ISBHF) under-18 Ball Hockey World Championships, which take place in Slovakia this summer.

Last year Mansell captained the GB team at the Junior World Championships, and he said: "I'm really proud to have been picked for the squad for a second year in a row."

The Grenoside-based player said: "I started off by watching my dad play.

"I always dreamt for years and couldn't wait to play alongside him."

Instead of the puck used in ice hockey, ball hockey players use a plastic ball and wear protective equipment including shin pads, gloves and helmets.

Mansell and his family are trying to raise money to allow him to take part as there is no formal funding for such players, and the cost would be about £2,000.

The teenager took up field hockey aged six, representing local clubs before going on to play at county level.

He moved into ball hockey nearly three years ago and has since competed in tournaments across the UK.

Commenting on the sport and why it appealed to him, Mansell said: "Ball hockey is quite a niche sport compared to football, rugby or cricket, but that's what makes the World Championships so special.

"You get to play against the very best players from around the world and represent your country at the same time."

The ISBHF under-16 and under-18 Ball Hockey World Championships get under way in Banská Bystrica, central Slovakia, on 1 July.

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