New Delhi: India will host four major international hockey events in the next four years, including the 2016 men’s junior World Cup and the 2018 men’s senior World Cup.
According to the 2015-2018 tournament cycle unveiled by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Friday, India will also play host to the 2015 and 2017 editions of the men’s Hockey World League Finals, to be held in the month of December.
But the most-prized event that India has been awarded was the 2018 senior men’s World Cup. It will be the second time in a span of eight years the country will be hosting the mega event, having successfully organised the previous edition three years ago.
The 2018 edition will see an expanded field with 16 teams competing in both men’s and women’s events.
The 2018 women’s World Cup will be held in England. The women’s tournament is scheduled to take place from July 7-21, with the men’s event planned for December 1-16.
India last hosted the World Cup in New Delhi in 2010 while the next edition will be held next year in The Hague, Netherlands in the first two weeks of June.
If that was not enough, the FIH also awarded the 2016 junior World Cup to India. The country will also be holding this year’s junior World Cup from December 6-15 here.
“The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is delighted to announce that England and India will host the Hockey World Cups in 2018. England Hockey were successful in their bid to host the women’s showpiece, with Hockey India winning the race to host the men’s equivalent,” world body FIH said in a statement late on Thursday night.
The announcements were made by FIH President Leandro Negre at a special ceremony in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Both the men’s and women’s Hockey World Cups 2018 will feature an increased 16-nation field of participants, confirming the growing interest and development of the sport.
Next year’s hugely anticipated Hockey World Cup, which takes place in The Hague, Netherlands, during the first two weeks of June, will see 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams competing. (PTI)
