THE International Hockey Federation (FIH) chose Japan instead of Malaysia to host one leg of the 2012 London Olympic Qualifiers.And the Netherlands will be the host nation for the Men’s and Women’s FIH World Cups in 2014. The decision was confirmed by the Executive Board and announced on Thursday evening at a special ceremony at the FIH Congress and Forum in Montreux, Switzerland.
“It was an incredibly difficult decision to make”, said FIH President Leandro Negre shortly after revealing the winner. “The bids from The KNHB and England Hockey were both outstanding, two of the best that we have ever seen. It was a very close decision, but we offer our congratulations to The Netherlands, who we are sure will stage an unforgettable double World Cup event. England Hockey's bid has reinforced their importance as a partner for future FIH events, and we are keen to maximise the use of London 2012's legacy facility.”
The Men’s and Women’s FIH World Cup will take place in The Hague between 2 – 15 June 2014.
As well as the tournament announcements, the ceremony also witnessed the signing of the new Memorandum of Understanding between the Continental Hockey Federations and the FIH. This is an extremely significant moment for hockey as it reinforces the importance of a close working relationship between the FIH and the five Continental Federations that play a crucial role in developing the game from grass roots to elite level and in ensuring hockey is a vibrant and sustainable sport in their regions and member countries. Memorandums of Understanding between the FIH and all five continental federations have been concluded to reinforce the importance of a close working relationship.
The FIH can also reveal the tournament cycle for the next four years. The following tournament allocations are proposed, subject to finalizing the contractual arrangements.
Tournaments 2011-2014.
2011
FIH Indoor World Cup – Poland, 8-13 February.
FIH Women’s Champions Trophy, The Netherlands, 25 June-3 July
FIH Men’s Champions Trophy – India, 26th November-4th December.
FIH Women’s Champions Challenge 1 – Ireland, 18/19 – 25/26 June
FIH Men’s Champions Challenge 1 – South Africa, Dates TBC
FIH Women’s Champions Challenge 2 – Austria, 8-14 May
FIH Men’s Champions Challenge 2 – France, 3-9 July
2012
FIH Olympic Qualifiers: Azerbaijan (W) TBC / Japan (M&W) – 25 April – 6 May / India (M&W) – February / Final Men’s Qualifier location and date TBD.
World Series Rounds 1 & 2 – TBC
FIH Women’s Champions Trophy – Argentina, February
FIH Men’s Champions Trophy – Australia, June
Olympic Test Event – London, 2-6 May
London 2012 Olympic Games – 27 July – 12 August
2013
World Series Round 3: Pakistan (M) – February / Germany (M) – June / Netherlands (W) – June / China (W) – June
World Series Round 4: India (M) – 8-15 September / Argentina (W) – December
Junior World Cup (M&W) - India, 2-17 November 2013
2014
World Series Round 1 – Details TBC
FIH Men’s Champions Trophy – Argentina, February
FIH Women’s Champions Trophy – India, February
FIH Champions Challenge 1 – TBC
FIH Champions Challenge 2 – TBC
FIH Men’s & Women’s World Cup – The Netherlands, 2-15 June
World Series Round 2 – TBC
Youth Olympic Games – China, 16-28 August 2014.
2015
FIH Indoor World Cup – Germany, 3-8 February
