Hockey: No end to regal procession of Argie turf queens

Delfina Marino

Delfina Merino believes she's the byproduct of the spinoff of generations of youngsters who wanted to become turf queens after women's hockey peaked in Argentina in year 2000.

"It's a privilege to be No 1, 2 or 3 so Argentina gave us that opportunity to be there," says the 25-year-old Vicente Lopez-born striker before the Argies play Japan at 1.30pm today in the Eight Nations Hawke's Bay Cup in Hastings.

At the age of 5, Merino had a sense of hockey awareness because parents Mariana and Gabriel were members of a club.

"I was practically born with a hockey stick in my hand because the family played the game."

The dexterity of players such as retired striker Agustina Soledad Garca, 33, inspired her. The code's parent global body twice (2002 and 2004) named Garcia world women's young player of the year.

Merino has built a solid rapport with veteran striker Carla Rebecchi in the squad here.

"I think we try to play with lateral dynamics with a lot of players going forward so we can attack as a team.

"It's important to be strong in defence in certain moments but if I have to give a quality of the team then it's us all going forward."

It is imperative for the young to experiment and luck can play a part.

Enjoying yesterday's rest, the Las Leonas pack is out to exorcise its scoring demons.

"They [Japan] are strong in their physique so it'll be hard," she says.

The young are determined to succeed despite the vacuum left behind from retirements.

"So we're trying to give them confidence and make them feel comfortable so they can be themselves and then move up to the team things."

Like Rebecchi, she finds it quite daunting to be playing, travelling and studying in Buenos Aires.

"It's important to have something for life because when you stop playing hockey maybe your life catch up with you and you don't know what to do so you should think about it before and try it so when you leave hockey you know what you like or not like to do," says Merino, keen to be in the Rio mix.