White’s thrill at meeting sporting idol

NICOLA WHITE with her bronze medal

Hockey: ENGLAND women’s hockey star Nicola White has revealed how meeting her idol was the highlight of her Commonwealth Games experience.

Dame Kelly Holmes presented the national team with their bronze medals at the event.

“She is my sporting idol so it was amazing to actually meet her,” said White.

The ex-Saddleworth Ladies player (22) admitted the heartache of defeat against Australia in the Commonwealth Games semi-final drove the side on to victory in the bronze play-off against South Africa.

White and her team-mates were desperate to go all the way in the competition.

But tournament favourites and old rivals Australia defeated them 1-0 to end hope of clinching gold.

White, a former Hulme Grammar School pupil who played in every match, said: “It was clear for all to see how devastated we were that our chances of winning gold were no more.

“Losing to the Aussies was really disappointing, especially as we had the majority of the attacking possession and played well.

“Unfortunately this is what can happen in hockey, you can play brilliantly and still lose.

“But soon after the defeat we all knew we had to move on and focus on the bronze medal match.

“We were thinking ‘we are not going home without a medal’ and that is what kept us going.”

White insisted hype surrounding poor living conditions for competitors was vastly overblown, although like many of her colleagues, she was under the weather for a few days.

“The accommodation was good — not what we would call five-star, but nothing like the pictures we were shown before we flew out there,” she added.

“There was always people cleaning, which was good to see.

“I did get a few days of the dreaded Delhi belly, probably from the change in everything, but I had it early doors so it was all cleared up when the competition started.”