A TEN-YEAR-OLD hockey sensation is set to represent his country at a tournament in Spain in March – just months after picking up the sport.
Daniel Newton, of Hoyland, has been playing ice hockey for six years and is currently in his seventh season with the Sheffield Ice Hockey Academy. But like all youngsters, he wanted to to try his hand at something similar.
After taking up roller hockey in September, Daniel was recently told he had been picked to play for Team GB at the Sparta Cup in Barcelona in March.
His dad, 41-year-old Matthew, said: “He’s been playing ice hockey for six years now. We got talking to someone who plays roller hockey and so he went down and enjoyed it.
“He’d been doing it for five or six weeks when we took him for a trial with Team GB and found out he’d been successful. We’re all so proud of him – it’s phenomenal.”
It seems that Daniel has got hockey in his blood – but unfortunately it comes at a price
“Daniel went to his first ice hockey tournament aged three – and his first ice hockey game at three days old,” he added.
“But the thing a lot of people don’t know is that it’s self-funded.
“The tournament cost and the jersey comes out at £633 – and that’s without getting and staying there. We’ve set up a fundraising page and we’ve already got £550 or so.”
You can donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-dan-get-to-barcelona-for-gb-debut?member=31116885&sharetype=teams&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&utm_content=ai_control&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer