Tokyo 2020 over for Rupert Shipperley and Great Britain's Olympic men's hockey team

After success in pool stages, Team GB's medal bid ends in 3-1 quarter-final defeat by India
Rupert Shipperley (Picture by Getty Images)Rupert Shipperley (Picture by Getty Images)
Rupert Shipperley (Picture by Getty Images)

Tokyo 2020 has ended in disappointment for Rupert Shipperley and Great Britain s men's hockey team, who were beaten 3-1 by India in their Olympic quarter-final on Sunday.

The Marsh Gibbon forward had played a key role in Team GB's journey to the knock-out stages in Japan, but being 2-0 down at half time left them too much to do.

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Sam Ward's goal from a penalty corner in the dying seconds of the third quarter gave the British team hope at 2-1 and they continued to dominate possession in the final quarter.

But throwing everything they had into attack, India then caught Great Britain on the counter-attack for 3-1 with only three and a half minutes to go and there was no way back.

The Olympic semi-finals will now see Australia v Germany and India v Belgium.

Shipperley, 28, who has played more than 70 times for Wales, studied at Cardiff University and was a geography teacher at King's College School in Wimbledon.

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He made his Great Britain debut in February last year, scoring in the country's 4-4 draw with Australia at the start of the 2020 FIH Hockey Pro League.

A cricketer with Marsh Gibbon CC too, he plays his club hockey for Hampstead & Westminster HC.

Described as a strong, attacking player with a keen eye for goal, he was also a keen rugby player before injury turned his attentions to hockey.

His sister Zoe also played hockey for both England and Great Britain.