After reaching the semi-finals of the Hockey World Championships in India, Germany’s top scorer and young father has a clear mission.
“I promised that if I miss the birth, I’ll come home with the gold medal and we’ll take a picture of my girlfriend and the little one with the gold medal around our necks,” said striker Niklas Wellen before the first World Cup semi-final German hockey team for 13 years on Friday (12.00 p.m.) against three-time world champion Australia.
The euphoria and emotions surrounding the birth of the wave offspring during the preliminary round match against Belgium carried the team through the tournament and probably released additional strength. “We will never forget this moment and we are extremely happy that we can share it with Niklas,” said national coach André Henning after winning the quarter-final thriller against England in the penalty shootout.
For Wellen, who scored his first of five tournament goals thousands of kilometers away in East India around the time his son was born, leaving the World Cup early was never an option. “It was clear: either all or nothing. I had incredible support, especially from my girlfriend. Everyone was behind my decision,” said the 28-year-old, whose partner Kim is the sister of NHL professional Leon Draisaitl.
Hoping for a happy ending
Father Dirk Wellen, chairman of the Crefelder HTC and former U21 world champion in hockey, also supports the decision and hopes for a happy ending. “This desire for a medal is his inner drive at the World Cup. When you see how happy he was after the goal against France, there was a bit more will than usual,” said the 61-year-old of the German Press Agency.
In the team, the Krefeld player, who plays a strong tournament, receives great recognition for remaining at the World Cup. “To have Niklas as a teammate, but also as a person in the team, to see how much he gives and sacrifices for this sport of hockey, I can only take my hat off, I have the greatest respect for that,” said captain Mats Grambusch .
Well’s best friend on the troupe almost advised him against it. “I didn’t want to swap places with him and almost advised him to stay at home. We were all the more pleased that he chose us. It’s an incredibly beautiful story,” said midfielder Timur Oruz.
For the national coach, this team spirit might even be worth its weight in gold. The match against the powerful Australians, who have already scored 24 goals in four games and won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, is their biggest challenge so far. But Henning is very confident. “We still have a lot in the tank and want to meet them at eye level,” said the coach.
