Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has been granted hosting rights of FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers for the first time in history.
In an announcement made today, FIH confirmed that Pakistan will host men’s qualifiers from January 13 to 21 next year. Pakistan are lined up with China and Spain who are the other two countries to host the men’s and women’s events.
As many as eight teams will travel to Pakistan for the event. After 1990 when Pakistan hosted its last hockey World Cup, an eight-team event will be happening in Pakistan for the first time.
Pakistan hosted Hockey Champions Trophy in 1994, 1999, and 2004 but these events featured only six teams. In 2018, Pakistan last hosted a FIH event, featuring four teams.
Women: Changzhou, China (one tournament) and Valencia, Spain (one tournament)
Men: Lahore, Pakistan (one tournament) and Valencia, Spain (one tournament)
Pakistan will participate in the upcoming Asian Games, scheduled from September 23 to October 8 in Hangzhou, China. If Pakistan win Gold in the event, they won’t be a part of the Qualifiers in the country.
Haider Hussain, the general secretary of PHF, said they are ready to host an international event after so many years.
“It’s honour for us to get the hosting rights of an international event,” said Hussain. “After 1990’s Hockey World Cup, we are going to host an international event which will have eight teams. I hope the excitement and curiosity would be the same as it were back then,” he added.
Hussain also believes that Olympic Qualifiers will break the ice for more international events in the country. The PHF, meanwhile, has started planning for hosting the event in a successful manner.
