Hockey5s Asia Cup 2023: Preview

    Lausanne, Switzerland: From 25 August to 2 September, the best Hockey5s teams (men and women) from Asia will go head-to-head in Salalah, Oman, for the opportunity to be crowned the inaugural Asian Hockey5s Champions, with the final three spots (per gender) for the FIH Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2024 also up for grabs! The event will feature both men’s and women’s competition. Bangladesh, Hong Kong China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia and Oman will compete in both men’s and women’s events. Additionally, Chinese Taipei and Thailand will compete in the women’s event that will feature 10 teams, while Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Pakistan will play in just the men’s competition, which will see 11 teams participate. The women’s competition will begin on 25 August and run until 28 August. The men’s event will begin right after, running from 29 August to 2 September. The event will feature a new format that will see teams split into two pools, i.e., the Elite Pool and the Challenger Pool. In the women’s competition, India, Malaysia, Japan and Thailand will be placed in the Elite pool. Hong Kong China, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Iran and Oman will go into the Challenger pool. After the teams complete their pool matches, crossover matches will be played amongst the bottom two teams of the elite pool and the top two teams in the challenger pool. The winners of the crossovers will then take on the top two teams from the elite pool in the semi-finals. The losing semi-finalists will play in the bronze medal match, where the winner, along with the two finalists will qualify for the inaugural FIH Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2024. The full match schedule for the women’s competition can be found here. In the men’s competition, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan, Oman and Bangladesh will be placed in the Elite pool. Hong Kong China, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Iran will compete in the Challenger pool. After the teams complete their pool matches, the first crossover matches will be played amongst the bottom two teams of the elite pool and the top two teams in the challenger pool. The winners of these two contests will play in the second phase of crossover matches, against the teams in third and fourth place of the elite pool. Finally the two top finishers of the elite pool will take on the winners of the second crossovers in the semi-finals. The losing semi-finalists will play in the bronze medal match, where the winner, along with the two finalists will qualify for the inaugural FIH Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2024. The full match schedule for the men’s competition can be found here. The inaugural edition of the FIH Hockey5s World Cup 2024 will be played in Muscat, Oman from 24-31 January 2024, with 16 teams competing in both men’s and women’s tournaments. In the women’s competition Namibia, South Africa and Zambia (Africa), USA, Uruguay and Paraguay (Pan America), Netherlands, Poland and Ukraine (Europe), Australia, New Zealand and Fiji (Oceania) have qualified for the World Cup, alongside hosts Oman. The final three spots will go to the top finishing teams at the Asia Hockey5s World Cup Qualifier. In the men’s competition Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland (Europe), Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria (Africa), USA, Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica (Pan America) and Australia, New Zealand and Fiji (Oceania) have qualified for the World Cup alongside hosts Oman. The final three spots will go to the top finishing teams at the Asia Hockey5s World Cup Qualifier. #Hockey5s #HockeyInvites #HockeyEquals For more information about FIH and hockey in general, please consult FIH.hockey, follow the FIH social media channels – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and download the Watch.Hockey app.

    Draw for inaugural FIH Hockey5s World Cup scheduled on 3 September

      Lausanne, Switzerland: The draw determining the Pools of the very first FIH Hockey5s World Cup that will be played in Oman (24-31 January 2024) will take place in Salalah, Oman, on 3 September at 7pm (local time), one day after the conclusion of the last qualifiers for this World Cup that will be staged in the same venue. FIH President Tayyab Ikram will attend the draw ceremony.   16 teams will be competing in both men’s and women’s tournaments at the World Cup. 13 teams in each category are already known. In the women’s competition, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia (Africa), USA, Uruguay and Paraguay (Pan America), Netherlands, Poland and Ukraine (Europe), Australia, New Zealand and Fiji (Oceania) have qualified for the World Cup. In the men’s competition, the participating teams include the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland (Europe), Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria (Africa), USA, Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica (Pan America), Australia, New Zealand and Fiji (Oceania). Alongside hosts Oman, the additional three teams from Asia will qualify through the upcoming Asian Hockey5s qualifiers taking place from 25 August to 2 September in Salalah, precisely. The Group stage will consist of 4 Pools of 4 teams each. For more information about FIH and hockey in general, please download the Watch.Hockey app or follow the FIH social media channels – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and website.   #Hockey5s #HockeyEquals #HockeyInvites

      Media Release – FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup Chile 2023: 100 Days to Go!

        Lausanne, Switzerland: The FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup Chile 2023 bursts into action in exactly 100 days at the National Stadium Sports Park in Santiago, Chile. The 16 teams in the hunt for the gold medal know their pools and the opponents that stand between them and the ultimate glory. The organizing team has pulled out all the stops to ensure the best possible experience for the players and the fans. The officials are set and ready to ensure a smooth-running and fairly contested tournament. The fans are ready to cheer for the next generation of hockey stars who are primed to break out!   All 16 teams that have qualified for the event were placed into their respective pools earlier this year, on 22 June, at the official launch ceremony of the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup Chile 2023. The full breakdown of all 4 pools can be found here. Santiago, Chile has deep ties with hockey and this will be the third FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup to be played in the city, which has previously played host to the event in 2005 and 2016. The 10th edition of the Junior Women’s World Cup will run from 29 November to 10 December 2023. The World Cup will begin on 29 November with 12 teams in action on opening day! Pool B action, with Korea taking on Zimbabwe, will get the event underway at 10am local time. High octane clashes between Netherlands and Australia, India and Canada, Argentina and Spain, Germany and Belgium will follow, before hosts Chile play the final match of the opening day against South Africa. The full match schedule for the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup can be found here. Hockey has shown itself to be greatly popular with the fans in Chile, which has been further enhanced by the great strides made by the Chilean women’s and men’s senior teams, with both making impressive debuts at the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup in 2022 and the FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023, respectively. With a proven pedigree of successfully hosting Hockey World Cups in the past, Chile will once again open its doors to the hockey world in what promises to be another spectacular edition of the biennial event, that starts off in exactly 100 days from today! Quotes from the participating teams in the event can be found here. For more details on the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup Chile 2023, please click here. For more information about FIH and hockey in general, please download the Watch.Hockey app or follow the FIH social media channels – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and website. #RisingStars #HockeyEquals #HockeyInvites

        Australia seal Olympic Games Paris 2024 qualification!

          Lausanne, Switzerland: The Australian men’s and women’s team came out on top against New Zealand at the 2023 Oceania Cup, sealing their qualification to the Olympic Games Paris 2024, where they join hosts France, becoming the first team to directly qualify for the Games as the continental champions of Oceania! The format for the 2023 Oceania Cup, which saw participation from Australia and New Zealand, had the two teams scheduled to face each other three times, with 3 points awarded for a victory, while a draw would result in both teams earning a point apiece. The Australian men’s team won twice and lost once to secure 6 points, while the Australian women’s team won two matches and drew one, to register 7 points. The results see both Australian teams qualify for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. New Zealand’s men’s and women’s teams will now move on to the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2024, where they will have a second opportunity to qualify for the Olympic Games. In the men’s competition, Australia registered a 3-1 win in the first match against New Zealand. The Kookaburras took a 2-goal lead inside the first 5 minutes, but New Zealand pulled a goal back quickly to stay in the game until the very end, when a 56th minute goal sealed the win for Australia. The second match saw New Zealand turn the tables on Australia winning 4-2. New Zealand took a 3-goal lead in the first quarter and never looked back, setting up a winner-takes-all match three. The third match went the way the first one did, with Australia scoring two early goals, followed by New Zealand pulling one back, but a late 4th quarter goal once again sealed the match and Olympic qualification for the Kookaburras. Jake Harvie of the Australian men’s team, speaking on his team’s qualification to the Olympics, said: “New Zealand made it a very competitive series, but we are very happy to have qualified for the Olympic Games. We have a lot of work to do before the games, but for now, we have to enjoy the moment and the fact that we get to send a team to the Olympics.” In the women’s competition, Australia registered a convincing 3-0 win in the opening encounter with all three of their goals coming in a devastating 4-minute spell of dominance on either side of the half-time interval. The second match ended in a 1-1 draw as New Zealand took the lead in the third quarter but Australia managed to find an equaliser late in the final quarter to split the points. New Zealand needed a big win in the final game to outqualify Australia, but it was the Hockeyroos who secured a narrow 3-2 win, with their defence holding steady in the face of mounting pressure in the final quarter, taking their points tally up to 7, and securing their Olympic qualification! Penny Squibb of the Australian women’s hockey team looked back on the matches and her team’s qualification, and said: “We play New Zealand quite often and know they are a tough opponent, so none of the three matches were easy. It is pretty special to qualify for the Olympics, and now we have to change our mindset towards that. But for the moment, we are going to enjoy this and celebrate with each other as a team.” A total of 12 teams, in each of the men’s and women’s categories, will compete in Hockey at the Olympic Games. Hosts France have gained direct qualification. With Australia now sealing their qualification, there are 10 spots up for grabs. The winners of each of the remaining 4 continental championships in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe will also gain direct qualification to the upcoming Olympic Games. The FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2024, which will be held in January 2024, provide a second opportunity for teams to qualify for the remaining 6 spots at the Olympic Games. Please visit olympics.hockey for the latest news and all the information from FIH about the Paris 2024 Hockey Olympic tournaments! #Paris2024 #HockeyInvites #HockeyEquals For more information about FIH and hockey in general, please consult FIH.hockey, follow the FIH social media channels – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and download the Watch.Hockey app.

          Hockey @Paris2024: 1 year to go!

            Lausanne, Switzerland: In one year from now – on 27 July 2024 exactly – the hockey tournaments of the XXXIII Olympiad will start at the historical venue of the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium – the arena of the Olympic Games in 1924! – in Colombes, near Paris, France. 12 men’s and 12 women’s national teams will battle it out to imitate the Dutch women and Belgian men who clinched the highly coveted Gold medals in Tokyo in 2021! Beyond France, 11 teams per gender will qualify, either as winners of their respective Continental Championships (African Hockey Road to Paris, Pan American Games, Asian Games, EuroHockey Championship and Oceania Cup) – all scheduled in 2023 – or through the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualification Tournaments that will be played in January 2024. For this symbolic day, the French hockey players have recorded a message of welcome to their peers and all hockey fans alike. FIH President Tayyab Ikram said: “This historical milestone gives us another opportunity to express how much we greatly cherish our long-standing integration within the Olympic movement and our participation as an Olympic sport for more than a century. On behalf of the global hockey community, I’d like to express our deepest gratitude to the International Olympic Committee, the Paris 2024 Organising Committee and the French authorities for putting together such a magnificent event. We’re looking forward to amazing Olympic hockey tournaments in Paris in one year’s time!” Hockey has been an Olympic sport since 1908. India (men) are the all-time record holders with no less than 8 Gold medals! The Dutch women, who’ve been at the top of the FIH World Rankings for a long time, have won 9 Olympic medals, including 4 Gold! A fabulous number of 4545 goals have been scored in 1133 matches throughout the hockey Olympic history! As has been the case since Beijing 2008, 12 teams per gender will play at the Paris 2024 Olympic hockey tournaments, with each squad consisting of 16 athletes. The Paris Olympics will be played on ‘Poligras Paris GT zero’ hockey turf developed by FIH’s Global Supplier Polytan. It is the world’s first carbon zero hockey turf and was developed to help hockey support the Games sustainability goals. As well as being carbon zero certified, the turf is also FIH Innovation certified for dry hockey. For elite events like the Olympics the turf will be irrigated, but for clubs and facilities around the world this unique ‘play wet / play dry’ crossover performance delivers greater flexibility. Hockey is a progressive sport, and the turf has already been installed in 10 countries, showing that the global hockey community is embracing greater sustainability for the sport. Please visit www.olympics.hockey for the latest news and all the information from FIH about the Paris 2024 hockey Olympic tournaments! For more information about FIH and hockey in general, please download the Watch.Hockey app or follow the FIH social media channels – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and website. #Paris2024 #Hockey #HockeyEquals #HockeyInvites

            Poland and Spain to host 2023-24 FIH Hockey Nations Cups

              Lausanne, Switzerland: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is delighted to announce that Poland and Spain will host the second edition of the FIH Hockey Nations Cup in 2024. The winners will join the 2024-25 FIH Hockey Pro League season. The city of Gniezno, Poland, will host the men’s event which will involve some of the best teams in the world: Poland, Korea, Malaysia, France, South Africa, Pakistan, Canada, Austria and – as the team relegated from the 2022-23 FIH Hockey Pro League season – New Zealand. Since, on the basis of the FIH World Rankings, the Polish team had not qualified for this FIH Hockey Nations Cup, the tournament will exceptionally be played with 9 teams. It will run from 31 May to 9 June 2024. Gniezno is no stranger to international tournaments as they hosted the Hockey Series Open in 2018 and the EuroHockey Championship II in 2021. The women’s event will take place in Spain from 3 to 9 June 2024. The city will be announced at a later stage. The impressive line-up includes Spain, Japan, Korea, Ireland, Chile, Canada, Italy and New Zealand. The FIH Hockey Nations Cup was launched in 2021 with the aim of offering a top-level competition to the best-ranked teams not participating in the FIH Hockey Pro League and giving the winning team the option to be promoted to the FIH Hockey Pro League the next season, precisely. India (women) and South Africa (men) won the first edition of the FIH Hockey Nations Cup in 2022. FIH President Tayyab Ikram said: “On behalf of FIH, I’d like to extend our sincerest thanks to the Hockey Associations of Poland and Spain. We have two fantastic hosts for two magnificent tournaments! I’m looking forward to exciting matches in a wonderful atmosphere!”. “I had the privilege to meet the Mayor of Gniezno, Mr Michał Powałowski, recently and was very impressed by the commitment of the city. I’d like to thank him personally”, the FIH President added. For more information about FIH and hockey in general, please download the Watch.Hockey app or follow the FIH social media channels – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and website.   #FIHNationsCup #HockeyEquals #HockeyInvites

              Australia, New Zealand and Fiji seal FIH Hockey5s World Cup 2024 qualification

                Lausanne, Switzerland: The Hockey5s Oceania Cup 2023 came to an end today in Gold Coast as Australia, New Zealand and Fiji secured the gold, silver and bronze medals respectively, in both men’s and women’s competition! With the top-3 classification, all three teams, across both genders, have now qualified for the FIH Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2024! In the women’s competition Australia were the dominant team in the round-robin stage, winning all 6 of their matches, with New Zealand following closely behind with 5 wins and 1 loss. Fiji and Papua New Guinea joined the two Oceanic powerhouses in qualifying for the semi-finals with Fiji taking 12 points from their 6 games, while Papua New Guinea took 7 points to finish fourth. New Zealand took on Fiji in the first semi-final, and three goals in each half, helped the Black Sticks ease past Fiji and confirm a spot in the final and seal qualification for the FIH Hockey5s World Cup, where they will also be joined by Australia, who breezed past Papua New Guinea in the second semi-final with a 12-1 win, on the back of hat-tricks by Jamie Zimmerman and Dacia Koelmeyer. The bronze medal match was played between Fiji and Papua New Guinea, and Fiji came out 6-2 victors in a close match, where they rode the hot hand of Lora Bukalidi who bagged a hat-trick that sends Fiji to the inaugural FIH Hockey5s World Cup 2024. The finals were a close affair with Australia scoring the first two goals of the game before New Zealand cut their deficit in half at the stroke of half-time. New Zealand’s search for the equaliser didn’t bear fruit and Australia scored a third with a little over a minute to go in the game, to win the gold medal. In the men’s competition Australia finished at the top of the table, winning all 6 games in the round-robin phase. New Zealand and Fiji finished in second and third positions with 13 and 10 points respectively. Interestingly, New Zealand and Fiji played out an entertaining 5-5 draw in their head-to-head match up in the round robin stage, and would be matched up in the semifinals as well. Solomon Islands finished fourth and would face Australia in the second semifinals. Once again it was New Zealand taking on Fiji in the first semi-final, with New Zealand prevailing in a 6-2 win. Taimana Iversen scored a brace to lead the Black Sticks into the finals and seal qualification for the FIH Hockey5s World Cup 2024. New Zealand will be joined in the World Cup by Australia who made light work of their semi-final encounter against Solomon Islands, coming away with a 10-0 victory. Mitchell Pace scored a first-half hat-trick to put the game beyond doubt and Joshua Commins added two late goals in the second half to seal a second hat-trick for the Kookaburras who made the finals as favourites. Fiji dominated the bronze medal match against Solomon Islands, winning 6-1, and joined their female counterparts in qualifying for the inaugural FIH Hockey5s World Cup 2024. The finals produced a thriller with New Zealand shocking the home favourites by taking a 3-goal lead inside the first 8 minutes of the game. But Australia clawed their way back and snatched the lead, scoring 4 unanswered goals over the next 5 minutes! A minute later, New Zealand scored again to draw level. Australian captain Liam Kerr-Nelson stepped up and added two goals in the final 3 minutes of the game to lead the hosts to an incredible 6-4 win over their continental rivals and secured the gold medal! The inaugural edition of the FIH Hockey5s World Cup 2024 will be played in Muscat, Oman from 24-31 January 2024, with 16 teams competing in both men’s and women’s tournaments. In the women’s competition Namibia, South Africa and Zambia from Africa have qualified for the World Cup, alongside hosts Oman. USA, Uruguay and Paraguay have qualified from Pan America while Netherlands, Poland and Ukraine have qualified from Europe. Australia, New Zealand and Fiji have now qualified from Oceania. The final three teams for the World Cup will qualify from Asia, later this year. In the men’s competition Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland from Europe, and Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria from Africa have qualified for the World Cup, alongside hosts Oman. USA, Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica are the three qualifiers from Pan America. Australia, New Zealand and Fiji have now qualified from Oceania. The final three teams for the World Cup will qualify from Asia, later this year. #Hockey5s #HockeyInvites #HockeyEquals For more information about FIH and hockey in general, please consult FIH.hockey, follow the FIH social media channels – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and download the Watch.Hockey app.

                Paris 2024: China, Pakistan and Spain to host FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers

                  Lausanne, Switzerland:  As confirmed by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) today, China, Pakistan and Spain will host the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers taking place from 13 to 21 January 2024 as follows: ·  Women: Changzhou, China (one tournament) and Valencia, Spain (one tournament) ·  Men: Lahore, Pakistan (one tournament) and Valencia, Spain (one tournament) Each tournament will consist of 8 teams (16 teams per gender in total), with following continental quotas in place: Women’s FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers Africa: 0 Asia: 4 Europe: 8 Oceania: 1 Pan America: 3 Men’s FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers Africa: 1 Asia: 5 Europe: 7 Oceania: 1 Pan America: 2 The teams filling each quota, and therefore invited to participate, will be based on their performance at the Continental Championships taking place in 2023. The top 3 teams in each of these FIH Hockey Olympic Qualification Tournaments will qualify for Paris 2024. They will join hosts France as well as the winners of each Continental Championship (African Hockey Road to Paris, Pan American Games, Asian Games, EuroHockey Championship and Oceania Cup). As has been the case since Beijing 2008, 12 teams per gender will play at the Paris 2024 Olympic hockey tournaments, with each squad consisting of 16 athletes. For more information about FIH and hockey in general, please download the Watch.Hockey app or follow the FIH social media channels – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and website. #Paris2024 #Hockey #HockeyEquals #HockeyInvites

                  Hockey5s Oceania Cup 2023: Preview

                    July 6, 2023 – Lausanne, Switzerland: From 10 to 14 July, the seven best teams from Oceania will go head-to-head in Gold Coast, Australia, for the opportunity to be crowned the inaugural champions of the Hockey5s Oceania Cup, with three spots up for grabs in the FIH Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2024! The event will feature both men’s and women’s competition. Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu will be the teams competing in both men’s and women’s events. Unfortunately Samoa, who were originally a part of the competition, had to withdraw due to visa issues. The tournament begins with the men’s match featuring Tonga taking on Fiji at 11:00 local time (AEST) on 10 July, with the women’s event starting later in the day at 15:00 AEST, with hosts Australia taking on Tonga. The event will feature a round-robin stage with all seven teams playing each other once. The top four teams at the end of the opening stage will qualify for the semi-finals, while the remaining three teams will play in the 5-7 classification matches. Following the semi-finals, the losing semi-finalists will play in the bronze medal match where the winner will join the two finalists in qualifying for the FIH Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2024. Find out more about the Hockey5s Oceania Cup 2023 by clicking here. The inaugural edition of the FIH Hockey5s World Cup 2024 will be played in Muscat, Oman from 24-31 January 2024, with 16 teams competing in both men’s and women’s tournaments. In the women’s competition Namibia, South Africa and Zambia from Africa have qualified for the World Cup, alongside hosts Oman. USA, Uruguay and Paraguay have qualified from Pan America while Netherlands, Poland and Ukraine have qualified from Europe. Apart from the three teams from Oceania, three further teams from Asia will also qualify for the World Cup later this year. In the men’s competition Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland from Europe, and Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria from Africa have qualified for the World Cup, alongside hosts Oman. USA, Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica are the three qualifiers from Pan America. Apart from the three teams from Oceania, three further teams from Asia will also qualify for the World Cup later this year. #Hockey5s #HockeyInvites  #HockeyEquals For more information about FIH and hockey in general, please consult FIH.hockey, follow the FIH social media channels – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and download the Watch.Hockey app.

                    FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Malaysia 2023 pools and match schedule revealed!

                      Kuala Lumpur, June 24, 2023: The highly anticipated FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Malaysia 2023 was officially launched today at a ceremony which took place at the Mercure Living Hotel, Putrajaya, Malaysia, attended by the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Malaysia, YB Hannah Yeoh and MHC President, Dato’ Sri Subahan Kamal. On this occasion, the pools and match schedule of the tournament were revealed. Malaysia is in Group A with Argentina, Australia, and Chile, while Germany, France, South Africa, and Egypt are in Group B, India, Spain, Korea, and Canada are in Group C, and the Netherlands, Belgium, Pakistan, and New Zealand are in Group D. The pools were established on the basis of the very first FIH Junior World Rankings. The 16 teams from around the world will all be vying for the coveted championship title from 5th to 16th of December 2023 at the National Hockey Stadium Bukit Jalil, which will be the competition venue for this championship. Another highlight of today’s ceremony was the introduction of the event’s official logo. The green colour of the logo was chosen as the main colour in the production of the design as a symbol of love for the environment as well as highlighting elements of the Hibiscus, the National Flower and the Hornbill which is the pride of Malaysians. The magnificent skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur, Merdeka 118, which is the second-tallest tower in the world, the Petronas Twin Towers (KLCC), as well as the Kuala Lumpur Tower, were also incorporated in the design of the official logo, which helped the world get to know Malaysia better. Additionally, the Putrajaya Bridge, a representation of the grandeur of the city, is a significant component that is highlighted in the design. It is generally known that Putrajaya serves as the administrative hub for the Malaysian government, housing all of the country’s ministries and departments. Through a video recording, FIH President Tayyab Ikram delivered a message and congratulated the 16 teams who qualified to play in the 13th edition of the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup: “Through its ‘athletes first’ approach, mentioned in the new Empowerment and Engagement strategy that was recently launched, FIH has made youth a strong focus going forward. The FIH Junior World Cups play a crucial role in this regard. Furthermore, as one of my priorities as FIH President is to highlight the powerful contributions hockey can make outside of the sport itself for individuals, community and society – with the important topic of sustainability being an integral part of this ambition – I look forward to seeing the ways this will be realized in this event. Special thanks to the Malaysian Hockey Confederation as they will, as we know it, put together a fantastic show for this 13th edition of the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup!”. You can find quotes from the participating teams here.