U. de Chile graduates qualify for the field hockey World Cup
Five graduates of the University of Chile were part of the squad of the women’s field hockey team that obtained a place in the World Cup after being crowned undefeated champion of the qualifier held at the Parque Estadio Nacional.
The Chilean field hockey team, which has five graduates from the University of Chilemanaged to qualify for the World Cup in the discipline after being crowned champion of the qualifying tournament that took place in our country, where the “Diablas” won the competition undefeated.
Between March 1 and 8, the field hockey World Cup qualifying tournament took place at the Claudia Schüler Stadium in the National Stadium Park, an event in which the women’s national team obtained a place in the World Cup.
Five graduates from the University of Chile were part of the team. It is about Fernanda Arrieta (Commercial Engineering), Sofia Filipek (Commercial Engineering), Josefa Salas (Occupational Therapy), Paula Valdivia (Nursing) and Fernanda Villagran (Industrial Civil Engineering).
The balance after the competition is positive, since the women’s team obtained a place in the World Cup for the second consecutive time. Furthermore, after the title in the qualifiers, the “Diablas” were placed in the 11th place in the world rankingthe best position in its history.
“We are very happy, it is what we came looking for. We are very prepared for this, we work a lot, so we are very happy about that. Personally, although we came out champions, there are many videos out there of things to improve, but we are going with everything, we are going to the World Cup,” said Fernanda Villagrán.
Regarding the same idea, Sofía Filipek analyzed the classification in the following way: “I think it was an excellent tournament. Qualifying for a World Cup is not something minor, and becoming champions here, with all our fans, too. Having that opportunity I think is something unique and, the truth is, we are very happy to have been able to have such a round tournament.”
For her part, Paula Valdivia highlighted the value that this victory has for the development of field hockey in our country. “I was in the previous classification, so I think it is a way to exemplify that Chilean hockey is growing, that we want more and that we want to be there, in the world’s top 10. It is the result of our effort and we are very happy with the path we are going. It has never happened to us that we went undefeated in an elite tournament, so I think this team has great things planned for the future.”
Besides, three of the athletes They remembered their time at the University of Chile, a stage that had a profound impact on their sporting and professional development.
“The university taught me a lot. I love the University of Chile very much, I always knew I wanted to go there. I think that is the reality of Chile, it gave me friends for life and I learned from the best. I studied Nursing; it is the first school for nurses, so I think I had, literally, the best experience. If I could go back to the university, I would go back,” mentioned Paula Valdivia.
“Proud of my university, I loved having studied at Chile. FEN was also very good to me, I had a lot of support in my sports career. In fact, I chose the university for that, so I am happy and always proud to be from the University of Chile,” said Sofía Filipek.
“I am very happy to be from the University of Chile. I think it marked me in my personal, professional and sports life. It is a good combination and it is paying off for me, so I am very happy,” added Fernanda Villagrán, a graduate in Industrial Civil Engineering.
The men’s national team also participated in the World Cup qualifying event, finishing in seventh place. The team included the participation of Felipe DuisbergCommercial Engineering student.
The national team also highlighted this experience, beyond not reaching the World Cup ticket. “It is always nice to defend the national shield and, in addition, represent the university. They are very valuable instances in these international tournaments, so I am very happy about it. For me it is an honor to play here. I have to be one of the youngest, so it is still difficult, but I always try to contribute my grain of sand to the team,” he indicated.
Furthermore, the athlete, who in 2026 will live his second year as a student, thanked the University for its support in making his studies compatible with high-performance sports. “I had three tournaments last year and they helped me in all of them. I missed the exams at the end of the year and I took them in December and January. They also helped me with the whole issue of assistance and controls. They are there, at your disposal, and they help you with whatever. I am very happy there, so I hope to continue at the University of Chile and with hockey too,” he concluded.