Kaelan Watson will be participating in her first multi-sport competition this summer as a member of the national women's field hockey team.
The Richmond defender was among 16 players named to the Canadian squad that will be competing at Commonwealth Games, slated for July 23-Aug. 3 in Glasgow, Scotland.
"The Commonwealth Games are a significant milestone in any athlete's career," said coach Ian Rutledge. "We now have a final group that will do its part to represent our program and country with pride.
"The strength of the team is its ability to relentlessly pursue our goals in a united fashion. "While we have a significantly youthful team, I have always been impressed by the group's ability to continually rise to the occasion and showcase their talents against some of the best teams in the world."
Watson, 24, joined the national team program on a full-time basis last year after an outstanding career at the University of Toronto where she was a four-time First Team All-Canadian and 2010 CIS Championship MVP. She earned her first international cap during a tour of Ireland and now has 19 to her credit. Among the highlights was helping Canada finish third at the Pan American Cup in Argentina last fall.
She has also been busy representing her country with the indoor version of the sport, as Canada clinched a berth in the 2015 World Indoor Cup in Germany this coming February by winning the Pan American Cup Indoor Championships in Uruguay.
When Watson made the decision to move back to the west coast and commit to the national team program, her long range goals included the Commonwealth Games and also playing in her adopted hometown of Toronto at the 2015 Pan American Games. A first place finish on home soil would also qualify Canada for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
The Canadian roster headed to Glasgow features 12 B.C. born players. The team has been nearly entirely renewed at the end of the last Olympic cycle, with four players returning from the group that played in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
"Field hockey at the Commonwealth Games is rich in history and incredibly competitive," says Team Canada Chef de Mission, Chantal Petitclerc. "With many of the top teams in the world in attendance in Glasgow, Canada is sure to face some tough matches, but I am sure they will hold their own against the experienced international teams they will face."
