West Wickham Underwater Hockey Club, located near Bromley, is one of London and the south east of England’s largest and longest-standing underwater hockey clubs, having celebrated its 50-year anniversary in December.
The sport, originating in Portsmouth in 1954 under the name of Octopush, is now played worldwide and, despite not being an Olympic sport, is recognised by the International Olympic Committee.
Two teams compete to manoeuvre a puck along the bottom of the swimming pool into the opposing team’s goal by using a hockey stick (or pusher).
Players are not allowed to use any scuba breathing equipment, and must hold their breath when underwater.
With the 2024 Underwater Hockey World Championships set to begin in Malaysia on Tuesday, two of West Wickham’s team members have been selected to compete as part of Team GB’s Under 24 Women’s team, Jasmine Russell and Carina Lu.
Speaking about the upcoming championships, Lu said: “I’m nervous but I’m also really excited because we’ve worked so hard and been training for so long.
“It’s really getting to the crunch time in terms of training and bonding with the team.”
Find out more about the sport, and the club, here:
Featured Image Credit: West Wickham Underwater Hockey Club
Join the discussion