Congratulations to Jon Beale, from Brighton & Hove Hockey Club men’s 8s, who helped to fire England LX Over-75s to victory in the World Grand Masters International tournament in The Hague, Netherlands, in June.

This was a seven-day tournament with over 1,000 grandmasters (over-60s) from all over the world participating. The Dutch club, HC Klein Zwitserland, were the hosts with six magnificent water-based pitches.

The Over-75s competition consisted of seven teams - from England, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Australia, Alliance (World XI) and Wales. Six full games were played and England finished top of the table winning the gold medal and losing only one game to Netherlands.

Jon, playing centre forward, was the top goalscorer with six goals.

This was a gruelling test for the Over-75s, especially as the previous weekend most of the team had played in the national area championships in Sheffield for various regions. Jon played for London and the South Over-75s, who were the runners up to the North.

“Instead of growing old gracefully, we have played ten full games of hockey in two weeks,” said Jon. "This resilience and passion for the sport exemplify the spirit of grandmasters, who refuse to let age slow them down."