HOCKEY: David Harte named top goalkeeper for 2015
Hockey Ireland has announced that David Harte has been named as FIH Goalkeeper of the Year 2015, positioning him as the top goalkeeper in world hockey.
Harte was nominated for the prestigious award alongside Jaap Stockmann, David Carter, Andrew Charter and Nicolas Jacobi, some of the top goalkeepers in the world.
Harte, who is currently playing for Dabang Mumbai in the Hockey India League, won Goalkeeper of the Tournament for every international competition he competed in with the Green Machine (World League 2, World League 3 and Eurohockey Championships) and was chosen as ‘Sporter of the Year’ at his club SV Kampong in the Netherlands.
Ireland men qualified for their first ever Olympic Games since 1908 and no-one will begrudge much of the credit going to Harte.
Harte’s performances in the FINTRO Hockey World League Semi-Final ensured both a fighting chance for Ireland to get to Rio and his own position as Best Goalkeeper in that tournament. It was an accolade that he picked up again at the EuroHockey Championships 2015 when Ireland won a bronze medal, Ireland’s first medal at a major international event.