the essential
Newly married the day before, Martina Nistico, the Argentinian captain of TUC field hockey, was on the field on Sunday morning. A day full of emotions, surrounded by his blood and heart family.
The sky was slightly overcast yesterday morning near the Château de l’Hers sports complex, thirty minutes before the kick-off of this National 1 clash between the TUC, second, and Carquefou, first in the standings. Covered, right up to the players’ entrance and as a symbol, the radiant captain of the “Tuc’ettes” at the head of the procession: Martina Nistico. Spearhead of the team, it was a special day for the player. And for good reason! 24 hours before this match, she exchanged wedding vows with Jordan Argerich. A husband who came to encourage his sweetheart, accompanied by around thirty guests including Martina’s family, who came specially from Buenos Aires for the wedding, but also… for the match.
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Hockey? a family affair
Indeed, among the Nisticos, field hockey “is in their DNA,” says Hester Groot, the TUC coach. So who better than Agustina, Martina’s sister to say it: “It’s the first time we’ve seen her play in France. The wedding was also an opportunity for my daughter to train with Martina. At home, all the girls in the family play, so obviously it’s an important place.” In front of her parents, her aunts, her sister and her cousins, the young bride was swimming in a dream: “It was an important match for me because it’s always special to play in front of the family. The emotional level was very strong and I mostly played for them rather than for myself.”
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And with hockey close to her heart, her husband, Jordan, a rugby player who notably played for the youth teams at Stade Toulousain, knows well that playing hockey is part of Martina: “I knew that by marrying Martina, I would also marry a little with field hockey Since we met in Spain, I knew that her passion had a special place in her life. When she told me she wanted to play this match because it was the only opportunity. to do it in front of his family, I supported him fully.” Which did not prevent him from continuing the wedding party late into the night from Saturday to Sunday with his in-laws from Argentina, including Agustina: “Martina remained very professional by going to bed earlier and not drinking, but that didn’t stop us from continuing later,” she laughs.
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At the heart of the club
On the pitch, carried by some South American songs, Martina Nistico once again showed that she was a leader. She even offers a superb assist to Agnès Buttin, the oldest member of the team, for what was the other great emotional moment of the day. Final score 1-1, the main thing was not there, but rather in the post-match when Martina brought together her “two families” for a photo.
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“I’m tired (laughter), I gave everything. I’m very happy that my family is there, my friends too and especially the girls on the team! Everything came together to make me happy this weekend”, confesses the main interested party. Under the tender gaze of her sister, Martina found Jordan, who knows more than anyone that this team matters to his wife: “Her attachment to the club is great, it allowed her to have an entourage and a social life when she arrived in France.”
Finally, if the “Tuc’ettes are her family”, then Hester Groot is “her hockey mother” and for her, this weekend says a lot about Martina’s commitment: “For the club, and for the image that it sends back to the girls, it’s enormous in terms of commitment within the group, it’s fantastic. After an unforgettable weekend, it’s now time to rest for Martina who will take advantage of a week’s vacation to recover from her emotions.
