Chile: a 2024 of growth and challenges

2024 was full of hopes for Las Diablas and Los Diablos. After the Pan American Games that had been held in 2023 in their country, the Chilean teams began the year focused on the Pre-Olympic. The women in Ranchi, and the men in Oman, both with the same dream: to qualify for the Olympic Games.

On January 5, Las Diablas traveled to the Indian city, wanting to make history, while Los Diablos did theirs to Oman, with a new captain, José Pedro Maldonado. Despite both having finished in seventh position and possibly not having been the best in the tournaments, everything learned is useful for the future, to establish itself and make Chilean hockey grow.

If anything can be said about Chile’s year, it is that it was one of many changes, in constant movement. Despite the tournaments they played, there were also new faces, and others who were already well known, who decided to step aside. Jorge Dabanch stopped being the coach of Los Diablos after seven years. “What was promised was fulfilled”he announced at the time. Instead he took command Emiliano Monteleone. Sergio Vigil After the Nations Cup, he stopped being the Head Coach of Las Diablas, and instead took the position Cristóbal Rodríguez, with an Argentine among his assistants, Ignacio Huarte, former Banco Provincia player and former River Plate coach.

In June of this year, the women’s team participated in the Nations Cup, a tournament that gives the champion qualification to the next Pro League. Las Diablas took third place after beating New Zealand 2-1. Your captain, Camila Caramsaid goodbye to the national team shirt, after many years wearing number 13, with more than 270 international matches. Furthermore, it was named as co-chair of the Athletes Committee by the International Hockey Federation.

Regarding the under-21 teams, Los Diablos Jr. and Las Diablas Jr. They competed in the Pan American Cup, a tournament that gave places for the next World Cup. Both the ladies and the men achieved third place, after beating Uruguay and the United States respectively, and both are qualified for the next World Cup.

In addition, from December 12 to 22, the Santiago2024 international series was held in the capital, where the locals played against Uruguay and Mendoza in women’s, and the United States and Mendoza in men’s. The winners were Las Diablas and the United States. To close this year of constant development for Chilean hockey, a little more than two months ago, it was announced – officially – that Santiago de Chile will be the headquarters of the Nations Cup 2025which is very positive to continue showing the sport in the country, with the purpose of continuing to grow.