Hockey
FIH Hockey World Cups: Belgium and Netherlands to host in 2026
Sports Bulletin Report
Lausanne (Switzerland): Acting President Seif Ahmed, the Executive Board of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) have selected Belgium and the Netherlands to jointly host the 2026 FIH Hockey Women’s and Men’s World Cups simultaneously.
Decision was taken in the 48th FIH Congress that held under the chairmanship of FIH Acting President Seif Ahmed. The combined event will take place in July or August 2026 in Amsterdam/Amstelveen, Netherlands and Wavre, Belgium, with female and male teams playing in both venues.
The proposed format for the match schedule - with one local team, Belgium or the Netherlands, playing each day in order to make sure to fill the venues every day -, the particularly solid financial foundation of this bid – including the support from the host broadcasters – as well as the athletes’ performance and well-being have been instrumental in the EB’s decision.
Commenting on the decision, FIH CEO Thierry Weil said: “On behalf of FIH, I would like to thank wholeheartedly all National Associations that submitted a bid. We received excellent proposals and it was therefore a particularly challenging task to decide. We’re very much looking forward to working with the National Associations of the current Women’s and Men’s World and Olympic Champions, the Netherlands and Belgium respectively, that will undoubtedly put together outstanding World Cups!”
On a different note, the EB received a comprehensive report on the FIH Finances. Thanks to additional income and reduced expenses, the final operational profit for 2022 is expected to be higher than the 500k CHF budgeted. The FIH Hockey Pro League operational result is also positive by 129k for season 3 (2021-22) and is expected to amount to at least 150k for season 4 (2022-23).
For 2023, the budget has been approved by the EB. The expected FIH financial result is an operational profit of 1m CHF (including 150k profit from the FIH Hockey Pro League) thanks, to a large extent, to the upcoming FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup in India.
The positive evolution of the FIH Hockey Pro League in financial terms is confirmed by its financial result figures: it started from -750k in 2018 (season 0) and -3.5m in 2019 (season 1) to -124k in season 2, +129k for season 3 and +150k for season 4. Therefore, after two difficult years (2018 and 2019), the Pro League finances remained stable in 2020 and 2021 - despite the Covid-19 pandemic and the cancellation of 35% of the matches! - to 2022 and 2023, where the forecast is, as mentioned above, positive.
National Hockey team to leave for Malaysia on October 27
Sports Bulletin Report
KARACHI: Secretary, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Haider Hussain has said that the national team would participate in the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament with full preparations and try their best to produce sparkling performance.
According to media department of PHF, Haider said in his statement, “According to the instructions of President PHF Brigadier (R) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar, all facilities are being provided to the players in the camp. We took trials of players from across the country on the basis of merit under the supervision of the PHF Selection Committee that resulted in the best combination of senior and junior players, “he added.
“Regarding the selection of players, the performance of the players in the All Pakistan Chief Minister Balochistan Hockey Tournament held in Quetta last month came to light.PHF full selection committee chairman and members were present on this occasion. Apart from this, there was an opportunity to bring players from all over Pakistan including KPK, Sindh Punjab, Balochistan. Team will leave for Malaysia on October 27 to play the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Cup, where they will also play a practice match against Japan, “he said.
FIH Hockey World Cup: Argentina-South Africa to open the show
SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT
Lausanne (Switzerland):-2016 Olympic Gold medallists Argentina and Africa’s highest-ranked nation South Africa will open the 2023 FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup. The thrilling encounter between these two powerhouses of international hockey will take place on 13 January 2023 in the iconic Kalinga Stadium of Bhubaneswar, which hosted the last Men’s World Cup final in 2018.
The second match of the day in Bhubaneswar will see world’s number one Australia taking on France, in a repeat of the 2018 World Cup quarter-final. Later on the same day, the brand-new Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela will host its first-ever FIH World Cup matches, starting with a “derby” between England and Wales, followed by the local heroes of India playing in front of their home fans against Spain.
In total, 44 matches will be played, with the Final scheduled on 29 January (7pm local time) in Bhubaneswar.
Four Pools:
Pool A: Australia, Argentina, France, South Africa
Pool B: Belgium, Germany, Korea, Japan
Pool C: Netherlands, New Zealand, Malaysia, Chile
Pool D: India, England, Spain, Wales
Pakistan Hockey Federation invites 32 players for training camp in Karachi
ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL
Islamabad:-Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has invited 32 players for the training camp, which will get underway from September 25, 2022 at Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium Karachi aiming to arrange a best team for the upcoming Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament, which will be held in October this year 2022.
According to an official of PHF, all players have been instructed to report to the team manager at Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium on September 25. The players who performed best in the recently concluded Chief of Army Staff Inter Club Hockey Tournament were also included in the national hockey training camp, including the best goalkeeper of the event Abdullah Sheikh, best player Osama Bashir and top scorer Ali Murtaza.
Mohammad Saeed Khan will be the team manager while Siegfried Ekman will be head coach. Ayaz Mehmood, Mohammad Usman Sheikh, Imran Butt and Mohammad Ali Khan will be the assistant coaches in the panel. Abu Zaram Rao will be the video analyst and Rana Nasrullah will be the physical trainer.
The Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Cup will be played in Ipoh, Malaysia from November 1 to 10. Six teams will take part in the international hockey fixture including hosts Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan, Korea, South Africa and Canada.
Names of players:
Goalkeepers: Abdullah Ishtiaq (Mari Petroleum), Akmal Hussain (WAPDA), Waqar (WAPDA), Abdullah Sheikh (Karachi)
Defenders: Mubasher Ali (WAPDA) Rizwan Ali (PAF) Mohammad Abdullah (Mari Oil) Imad Shakeel Butt (National Bank) Moeen Shakeel (WAPDA) Sufyan (Pakistan Navy) Abdul Manan (PAF) Hammaduddin Anjum (WAPDA) Mohammad Umar Bhatta (WAPDA) Rana Abdul Waheed (WAPDA) ) Ehtisham Aslam (Mari Petroleum) Ijaz Ahmed (WAPDA) Osama Bashir (PAF) Junaid Manzoor (National Bank) Arbaz Ahmed (Mari Petroleum) Ghazanfar Ali (Mari Petroleum) Mohammad Murtaza Yaqub (WAPDA) Zahidullah (WAPDA)
Forwards: Rana Sohail Riaz (Sui Southern Gas) Abuzar (National Bank) Ahmed Nadeem (Mari Petroleum) Mohammad Shahzeb Khan (Karachi) Arshad Liaquat (Bahawalpur, Mari Petroleum) Ali Murtaza (Lahore) Roman Khan (WAPDA) Faraz (Mari Petroleum) Abdul Hanan Shahid (WAPDA) Obaidullah Bhutto (WAPDA)
PHF appoints Saeed Khan as national hockey team manager
SPORTS BULLETIN
Lahore:-Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has announced the National Senior Hockey Team Management, after the approval of the President PHF Brigadier (R) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar.
Secretary General PHF Haider Hussain unfolded the names of the National Senior Hockey Team Management. Saeed Khan will be the manager in the management of the national senior hockey team, Siegfried Aikman, Ayaz Mehmood, Mohammad Usman Shaikh, Imran Butt and Mohammad Ali Khan will be the assistant coaches in the panel.
Abuzar umrao will be the video analyst and Rana Nasrullah will be the physical trainer. The national senior hockey training camp will be held from September 25 at Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium, Karachi, in order to form and prepare the Pakistan hockey team to participate in the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Cup to be played in Malaysia from November 1 to November 10.
FIH Hockey Stars Awards 2021-22: Shortlists revealed
Sports Bulletin Report
Lausanne (Switzerland):-The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has revealed the shortlists for the FIH Hockey Stars Awards 2021-22, with players, coaches, media and fans being able to register their votes for the nominees in the women’s and men’s categories for the Best Player, Goalkeeper, Rising Star and Coach of the Year, starting from today, 6 September 2022.
Additionally, awards for the Best Umpire of the Year, in men’s and women’s categories will be given, which will be selected by the FIH Officials Committee.
The new voting process includes an Expert Group, whose votes will count for 40% of the overall result. Votes from National Associations, represented by their respective national teams’ captains and coaches, will count for a further 20%. The fans and other players (20%) as well as media (20%) will make the remaining 40%.
FIH Player of the Year (Women & Men)
FIH Rising Star of the Year (Women & Men, under 21 years old and/or having participated at the FIH Junior World Cup in 2021/2022)
FIH Goalkeeper of the Year (Women & Men)
FIH Coach of the Year (Women’s & Men’s Team)
FIH Umpire of the Year (Women & Men), to be selected by the FIH Officials Committee
FIH Player of the Year Award
Women: Felice Albers (NED), María José Granatto (ARG), Frédérique Matla (NED), Agustina Gorzelany (ARG), Georgina Oliva (ESP)
Men: Arthur de Sloover (BEL), Harmanpreet Singh (IND), Niklas Wellen (GER), Thierry Brinkman (NED), Tom Boon (BEL)
FIH Goalkeeper of the Year Award
Women: Savita (IND), Josine Koning (NED), Belén Succi (ARG), Jocelyn Bartram (AUS), Phumelela Mbande (RSA)
Men: Loïc van Doren (BEL), PR Sreejesh (IND), Pirmin Blaak (NED), Arthur Thieffry (FRA), Alexander Stadler (GER)
FIH Rising Star of the Year Award
Women: Charlotte Englebert (BEL), Luna Fokke (NED), Mumtaz Khan (IND), Jip Dicke (NED), Amy Lawton (AUS)
Men: Miles Bukkens (NED), Timothée Clément (FRA), Sanjay (IND), Pau Cunill (ESP), Rizwan Ali (PAK)
FIH Coach of the Year Award
Women’s Team: Janneke Schopman (NED) Team India, Jamilon Mülders (GER) Team Netherlands, Katrina Powell (AUS) Team Australia, Raoul Ehren (NED) Team Belgium, Adrian Lock (ENG) Team Spain
Men’s Team: Jeroen Delmee (NED) Team Netherlands, Michel van den Heuvel (NED) Team Belgium, Graham Reid (AUS) Team India, Garreth Ewing (RSA) Team South Africa, Frédéric Soyez (FRA) Team France
Rana Nawaz nominated for Hockey World Cup South Africa
Sports Bulletin Report
ISLAMABAD:-Pakistan born, hockey player from Austria Nawaz Rana will represent SA-ALLIANCE men’s hockey team in the forthcoming Men’s Hockey World Cup, which will take place from October 1 to 10, 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa.
While talking to this reporter over his mobile from abroad, Pakistan born former captain/state champions Austria added that he was happy after getting the place in national hockey squad and he would toil hard to produce best performance in the international hockey fixture. “I will try my best to produce a performance in the mega hockey event of the world, “he said.
“I have been invited from Austria as a hockey player in up-coming world cup hockey 2022 Cape Town with the South Africa Alliance hockey team. Thanks to Almighty Allah for this chance to me, as this is my life's biggest hockey tournament in which I am going to show my abilities and game skills, “he further added.
To a question he said: “I am proud to say, as Pakistan overseas hockey player, European states champions hockey clubs invited me in their national events top league hockey, they have offered to me a great respect and honours with my nominations in their teams as a player, as a captain, as a coach and as a technical official at the national and international levels.
“Field hockey is my family sport in Pakistan which is also the national sport of the country. I am proud to say that I belong to the most respectable hockey academy in Pakistan named Ustad Aslam Rodha hockey academy, which has trained more than 200 Olympians and international hockey players for Pakistan hockey including my elder brother Shahbaz Ahmed Junior, who represented Pakistan in 1992 and 1996 Olympics”.
“Soon after my past domestic hockey career in Pakistan (1992-2004), I got an international exposure in hockey with multinational champion teams with my contribution. I always hold the green flag for the glory of Pakistan at the pitches of hockey nations by representing different characters including as a player, captain and coach. I have earned a track record with great and notable achievements in European hockey states with the contribution in 20 times indoor, outdoor champions league, national cups and international hockey events, “national assistant coach concluded.
FIH Hockey Nations Cup: pools and match schedules revealed
Sports Bulletin Report
Lausanne (Switzerland):-The International Hockey Federation has revealed the pools (two groups of four teams each) and match schedules of boths upcoming FIH Hockey Nations Cups, Men’s and Women’s.
The FIH Hockey Nations Cup ushers a new dawn of promotion and relegation in the FIH Hockey Pro League with the winning team of the first FIH Hockey Nations Cup having the chance to be promoted to the 2023-24 FIH Hockey Pro League (provided they meet the necessary requirements for it).
The FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup will run from 28 November to 4 December 2022, in Potchefstroom, South Africa. The hosts South Africa, will play in Pool A with France, Ireland and Pakistan; while Canada joins the Asian triumvirate of Korea, Japan and Malaysia in the Pool B.
The opening match will see two Asian powerhouses go head-to-head as Malaysia take on Korea on 28 November at the North-West University of Potchefstroom to start the new era of international hockey. The Final will be played on 4 December (see full match schedule here).
The FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup will run from 11 to 17 December 2022, in Valencia, Spain. The hosts Spain, will play in Pool A with Korea, Ireland and Italy; while India, Japan, Canada and South Africa compete in Pool B.
The opening match will be played on 11 December in Valencia between India and Canada; two teams who are very familiar with each other having faced off in the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup Spain and Netherlands 2022 as well as the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, within the past two months. The Final will be played on 17 December.
FIH Hockey World Cup 2023: Draws scheduled on September 8
Sports Bulletin Report
Lausanne (Switzerland):- The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has announced that the draw ceremony to determine the pools of the upcoming FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar - Rourkela will be held on 8 September, 2022. The pinnacle of the FIH men’s tournaments will be held from 13 to 29 January 2023 and involve 16 participating national teams.
Those include India, as the hosts of the competition, whilst Malaysia, Japan and Korea are the other Asian teams. Africa is represented by South Africa, recent winners of the Africa Cup of Nations. From Europe, the following teams have qualified: Belgium, England, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, France and Wales. Argentina and Chile are the two American teams having booked their ticket for the prestigious tournament, while Australia and New Zealand, from Oceania, complete the draw.
The draw will be conducted by FIH CEO Thierry Weil, with the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha, Shri Naveen Patnaik also in attendance. The four top teams which include host India, Australia, Belgium and Netherlands will be placed on the first row of their corresponding Pools based on the FIH World Rankings as per 1 June 2022.
The draw will start with Row 4 of each Pool, involving the following teams: South Africa, Wales, Japan and Chile. It will then continue with Row 3 of each Pool (involving Spain, Malaysia, France and Korea) and conclude with Row 2 of each Pool (with Germany, England, Argentina and New Zealand).
The Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar and the brand-new Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela will host the matches, in the state of Odisha, India. In the previous edition, in 2018, Belgium claimed the title by winning the final against Netherlands, while Australia wrapped up the podium places, finishing third.
HOCKEY - FIH Pro League 23 Aug, 2022
Sports Bulletin Report
Lausanne (Switzerland):-The International Hockey Federation (FIH) and the FIH Hockey Pro League participating nations have confirmed the venues for the season 2022-23.
According to a press release of FIH, the timing and venues for the Season 2022-23 of FIH’s global league for national teams ‘Hockey at its Best’ have been confirmed, which will run from 28 October 2022 to 5 July 2023. Australian city Newcastle Hobart, Mendoza, Santiago del Estero (Argentine), Belgium: Antwerp (Belgium), London (England), Bhubaneswar, Rourkela (India), Eindhoven, Amsterdam (Holland) and Christchurch, Wellington (New Zealand) will stage the pro-hockey league’s fixtures.
As already announced in March, a new schedule - based on a series of “mini-tournaments” where several teams will gather in one venue to play two matches against each other - will come into force for this new Pro League season. This format will have a major positive impact on players’ welfare and the environment, thanks to a substantial reduction in the amount of travel needed for each team and the officials. Another great advantage of this revised format is that it increases the number of dates available for athletes to compete in their domestic leagues and club competitions.
Furthermore, this season will see the implementation of a promotion-relegation principle for the very first time, with the team finishing last being relegated, while the team winning the 2022 FIH Hockey Nations Cup – a new event – being promoted for the 2023-2024 Pro League season.
FIH CEO Thierry Weil said:
“The integration of the promotion-relegation principle will substantially add to the excitement around Pro League. Also, the new format is beneficial to everyone, athletes, National Associations, clubs and fans in particular. We’re glad to welcome some new venues for this season; this is great for the growth of our sport! We’re very much looking forward to the fourth edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League”.
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