By Lucas Ball
Holcombe Hockey Club would like to congratulate former player Maddie Hinch MBE on an incredible career after she announced her retirement from international hockey earlier this week.
Hinch, 34, played for Holcombe before moving to the Netherlands after Great Britain’s gold medal win in Rio in 2016, celebrating the victory at a special celebration event at Holcombe Park in September 2016 with her fellow Holcombe-based Olympians.
She played 118 games for England and Great Britain since her debut in 2008, winning a gold medal at Rio 2016 as well as bronze in 2021 in Tokyo before helping England win their first ever Commonwealth gold in Birmingham in 2022.
Hinch will continue to play club hockey for HC Tilburg.
She told England Hockey: “They say that when you know, you know, and I just know. The time is right. I have lived my childhood dream and given all that I can give to the badge. I have always believed that to be the best and to succeed, you have to be ‘all-in’. As difficult as it is, I know I can no longer give 100% of me to the number one shirt and so I have decided to retire.”
Hinch also commented on her time at Holcombe, saying: “Proud to have worn the Holcombe shirt during some of what was a fairytale career in the end.”
She added, via a further statement on Twitter: “Struggling to find the words to express my sincere gratitude to all of you.
“Just wow! I never expected the response that followed my announcement on Tuesday, nor did I anticipate how the incredible amount of love that has been shown would make me feel. I’ve been an emotional wreck. The support has been overwhelming, to say the least and it’s made me feel even more grateful than ever before!
“The hockey community is truly one of a kind. I am incredibly thankful to all of you who have taken the time to reach out to me. Your messages have brought me to tears, but they are tears of joy and happiness. I appreciate every single message that I have received and over the coming weeks I promise to respond to each and every one of you.
“So proud to have left a positive impact and contribution on the hockey world and even more proud to have left this shirt in a better place.
“Thank you.”