New Delhi: The Indian men’s hockey team qualified for the Hockey World Cup in the Netherlands on Sunday, according to an official press release.
Their participation in next year’s showpiece event – between 31 May and 15 June – was sealed following the completion of the men’s and women’s Oceania Cup continental championships in New Zealand on Sunday.
Like all of the continental championships, the big prize on offer for the winners of the men’s and women’s Oceania Cup tournaments was direct qualification to the World Cup.
However, with both Australian teams having already achieved World Cup qualification thanks to strong performances in the Hockey World League semifinals, the door was subsequently opened to the teams that finished outside the top three at the HWL semis that had not yet qualified for the World Cup.
India men’s sixth place finish at the HWL semifinal in Rotterdam has proven to be enough for their participation, while the women of Belgium – sixth place finishers in the women’s competition – have also been handed their ticket to the World Cup party.
Eleven men’s and 11 women’s teams have now qualified for the World Cup, with just two more places left to fill. The remaining berths will be taken by the winners of the rescheduled Men’s and Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, which takes place from 18-24 November in Nairobi, Kenya.
Teams:
Netherlands; Germany; Argentina; Korea; Australia; England; Belgium; New Zealand; Spain; Malaysia; India. (PTI)
