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A breath of fresh air: The Canadian men’s field hockey team won the Pan-American Cup

Another example of Canada’s excellence was shown when the Canadian men’s field hockey team won the 3^rd Pan-American Cup in Santiago, after defeating the Americans 2-1 in overtime. This success has secured Canada’s participation in the Field Hockey World Cup, which will take place in India in March 2010.

The excellent performance by the Canadian team brought a breath of fresh air to the usual Embassy activities, and showcased how dynamic and diverse our bilateral relations are with Chile. Several Canadian diplomats and expats attended the games which took place in mid-March at the local Prince of Wales Country Club. Everyone was pleasantly surprised with the final score as, according to the local press, the favourite team expected to win the Cup was Argentina, due to their impressive track record. The Argentines were defeated by Canada 4-3 in the semi-finals of the cup. The Chilean team, although they received support from their local fans, came in 4^th place out of eight teams.

Prior to the triumph, Ambassador Norbert Kalisch held a reception at the Official Residence to welcome the Canadian team and their coaches, who were visiting Chile for the first time. We modestly trust that our support may have contributed to their great performance on the field, as the players were delighted to see the enthusiasm of Canada’s officials abroad, as shown on the pictures below.