Des Abbott facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Personal information |
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| Birth name | Desmond Abbott | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Australian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 10 January 1986 Darwin, Northern Territory |
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| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Field hockey | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Men's team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Aquinas Reds | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | NT Stingers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympic finals | 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Desmond Abbott (born 10 January 1986) is an Australian field hockey star. He played as a midfield or striker. Des, as he is known, was a key member of the Australia men's national field hockey team, also called the Kookaburras.
He made his first appearance for the national team in 2007. Des won many gold medals during his career. These include three Hockey Champions Trophy titles (2008, 2009, 2010) and a gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He also earned a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
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About Desmond Abbott
Desmond Abbott was born in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. He is an Indigenous Australian person. His uncle, Joe Daby, was also a famous field hockey player from the Northern Territory.
Outside of hockey, Des enjoys playing Australian rules football. He also worked for a water company. His achievements in sports are recognized by the Australian Olympic Committee.
Playing Field Hockey
Desmond Abbott played in the midfield and as a striker. These positions are important for both attacking and defending. When he played for the national team, he wore jersey number 32.
He played club hockey for the Aquinas Reds. He also represented the NT Stingers in the Australian Hockey League, wearing shirt number 17. In 2010, he even scored a goal for the NT Stingers in a game.
Early Career
Desmond started playing at a young age. In 2005, when he was 19, he joined Australia's Under-21 national team. He played in a series of games against Malaysia in Brisbane. He was one of four players from Darwin on that team.
Later in 2005, he was one of five players from the Northern Territory chosen for the Under-21 World Cup team. In 2009, he even played professional hockey in the Netherlands.
Playing for Australia
Desmond Abbott made his first appearance for the senior Australian team on 28 January 2007. This was during a series of games against the Netherlands.
In 2008, he joined the senior national team for the Five Nations men's hockey tournament in South Africa. He helped the Kookaburras win the Hockey Champions Trophy three times in a row:
- 2008
- 2009
- 2010
He was part of the team that won the gold medal match against Germany in the 2009 Champions Trophy. Australia won that game 5–3. He also won a gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the 2010 World Cup.
Olympic Games
Desmond Abbott competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. He helped Australia win a bronze medal there. In Australia's first game at the 2008 Olympics, he scored three goals against Canada.
He was the first Indigenous Australian to play for the men's field hockey team at the Olympics. He also scored a goal in the bronze medal game against the Netherlands, which Australia won 6–1.
In 2011, he was injured and could not play in the Azlan Shah Cup. In 2011 and 2012, he was part of the training squad for the 2012 Summer Olympics. He trained hard with the team in Perth, Western Australia. However, he did not make the final team for the 2012 Olympics.
Awards and Recognition
Desmond Abbott's talent was recognized in the hockey world.
- In 2009, he was nominated for the Qantas NT Sportsperson of the Year award.
- He was also nominated for the International Hockey Federation 2008 Young Men's Player of the Year. He finished second in this important award.
See also
In Spanish: Desmond Abbott para niños
