NEW DELHI: To enhance the sport’s profile, Federation of International Hockey is all set to launch the inaugural World League, featuring the hockey playing nations affiliated to the mother body, announced FIH president Leandro Negre at a press interaction on Wednesday.
The fare, expected to comprise 80 men’s and 58 women’s team will take off soon after the London Olympics. “The top eight teams will automatically qualify for the semifinal league while eight qualifiers will join them. Those ranked between nine and 16 will get an automatic entry to the second round. The finals of men’s league will be held in India in Feb 2014 and the women’s are scheduled in Dec 2013,” outlined Negre.
Besides, the league would displace the Olympic qualifiers — the hosts will automatically gain entry and so the five continental champions. Either six of seven teams — depending on the hosts also being the continental champions — will qualify from the World League.
Moreover, the FIH will chalk out a planned scheduled on the line of cricket’s Future Teams Programme. “We have a planned schedule till the 2014 World Cup, and in our next Congress we will discuss on the 2014-2018 calendar. It would be based on our two pillars — the World Cup and the Olympics. This is a work in progress and the goal is to have hockey played continuously. And every alternate year we would have the Champions Trophy. The thing is we have to squeeze in tournaments like the Asian Games, the Champions Challenge and Sultan Azlan Shah. We haven’t yet finalized on it, but it certainly is top on our agenda,” explained FIH CEO Kelly Fairweather.
Both Negre and Fairweather were tongue-in-cheek about the rebel World Series Hockey and the continuing rift between HI and IHF.
“The FIH has made its stand clear (regarding WSH), and now it is for the national body to make a decision, which I’m sure they will arrive upon shortly. As far as players, officials and umpires are concerned, they are free to make their decision,” said Negre, who appreciated Sports Minister Ajay Maken’s endeavor to mend the HI-IHF issue.