Olivier Sanchez and Lucas Pigaglio started playing field hockey together in Villeneuve-Loubet. Since their beginnings, the two players have had very different trajectories. Olivier Sanchez has broken through and plays in one of the best leagues in the world, while Lucas Pigaglio plays in Nice. Here’s a look at two enthusiasts of a sport that is far too unknown.
Few people know this, but Nice has a field hockey team: the NHC. The Nice players do not embarrass themselves on the national scene as they compete in the Elite (first French division). While ice hockey does not receive the recognition it deserves in France, field hockey remains completely anonymous.
What brought you to field hockey?
Lucas Pigaglio: I tried a lot of sports before coming to the hockey fields. At the age of eight, a classmate introduced me to this sport, and since then, I’ve been playing hockey.
Olivier Sanchez: My aunt and brother played hockey. I used to regularly watch them, and I thought I should try this sport.
How do you explain your different paths?
Lucas Pigaglio: I constantly underestimated myself. I knew I was a good player, but I couldn’t convince myself that I could be even better. And I didn’t want to leave my region. When I was in the sports program in Paris, I felt homesick… It was my mindset that betrayed me.
Olivier Sanchez: It’s a sport that I really liked, with values like fair play, which are very important to me. I knew I wanted to make it my profession. And to do that, I had to leave the Côte d’Azur to go to Paris, to join a sports program, then INSEP. I played four years in the French championship. After those four years, I wanted to discover the Belgian championship to take the next step (the Belgian championship is one of the best in the world, ed.).
Field hockey isn’t very known to the general public. How do you explain this?
Olivier Sanchez: I don’t know… But it’s a shame because it’s a telegenic sport. In Belgium, hockey is more prominent in the media. Here, no one knows that Nice is in the first division, and that’s regrettable.
Lucas Pigaglio: On the other hand, there are advantages to practicing an underdeveloped sport. We all know each other, there is great camaraderie in hockey. We’re not spoiled by money, and that’s a good thing.
What are your next goals?
Lucas Pigaglio: First, I will heal a nasty injury. After my studies, I would like to play in a good French club to dedicate myself to this sport for a year. It will allow me to know my true level of play so I won’t have any regrets.
Olivier Sanchez: Participating in the Olympic Games is a dream for me… I would also like to play in the Australian championship, which is the best league in the world.
How do you view each other?
Lucas Pigaglio: Olivier has a strength that very few players have: carefree nature. He has that touch of madness that allows him not to doubt. He has an exceptional sense of goal. He’s kept his head on straight thanks to his family.
Olivier Sanchez: I think Lucas left the high-level path too early. He had the capabilities to succeed. It was evident in the youth categories. Technically and physically, he made the difference.
