Australia will host the 34th Men's Champions
Trophy this year from December 1-9, at the State Netball and Hockey
Centre. It will be the first international event after the Olympics
and the FIH's premiere event is set to sizzle with tickets expected to
race out the door.
In a pre-sale to the hockey community on Wednesday, tickets sold very
quickly, so sports lovers will need to book now to ensure they attain a
seat for their preferred session.The countries that will take part
include Australia, Belgium, Germany, India, Netherlands and New Zealand
with the field of participants set to grow to 8 in total.
Melbourne hosted the Champions Trophy in 2009 and this
year more than 28,000 fans, from Australia and abroad, are expected to
descend on the city, to watch world class hockey at its best. Host
Australia has dominated the event in recent history and will play for an
unprecedented fifth consecutive gold medal, after winning 12 titles
since the event began in 1978, more than any other nation.
Hockey Australia Chief Executive Mark Anderson said that all of
Australia would be behind the Australian Men’s Hockey Team over the
coming weeks.
'We will all be hoping the team attains success, but
regardless of the results we are guaranteed that the Champions Trophy
will host the gold medalist here in Australia," he said. "As such the
2012 Men’s Hockey Champions Trophy provides a tremendous opportunity for
sports fans to see all of the best teams in the world go head to head
in Melbourne."
It is a rare opportunity to see Australia's hockey players compete in
international competition on home soil and all members of the
Kookaburras squad will be desperate to be selected."
Sports Minister Hugh Delahunty launched the event earlier this year and said it would be a spectacle not to be missed.
" The Victorian Government is excited to be supporting the 2012 Men's
Champions Trophy, another fantastic event staged in the sporting capital
of Australia. Tickets will sell fast as 8 of the worlds best hockey
nations battle it out for the prestigious Champions Trophy, so I
encourage all fans to get in quick to secure their tickets," he said.
Melbourne has previously been voted the World’s Best
Sports City at the International Sports Management Awards in London,
recognised for the high standard of the international events it has
hosted and the city has also won the prestigious Ultimate Sports City
three times.
