FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup Chile 2023: pools and match schedule revealed at official launch event!

    22 June 2023 Between November 29 and December 10, the Chile 2023 world event will take place on the field of Santiago’s National Stadium, where the 16 best female junior teams on the planet will be in action! The event was officially launched today. Santiago, June 22, 2023.- The Official Launch of the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup Chile 2023 took place today at the headquarters of the Chilean Olympic Committee. The tournament will be staged between November 29 and December 10 on the new fields of Santiago’s National Stadium. The ceremony – where the pools and match schedule were revealed – was graced with the presence of the highest governmental sports authority of Chile, Minister Jaime Pizarro. The pools were established on the basis of the very first FIH Junior World Rankings as follows:   Pool A: Netherlands South Africa Australia Chile   Pool B: Argentina Korea Spain Zimbabwe   Pool C: Germany India Belgium Canada   Pool D: England United States New Zealand Japan   FIH President Tayyab Ikram stated: “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. Congratulations to all 16 teams and special thanks to the Chile Hockey Federation as they will, as always, be fantastic hosts for this 10th edition of the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup!” Chilean Hockey Federation President Andrés de Witt indicated that “it is a great opportunity to continue developing our sport internationally. We appreciate the trust of the international hockey authorities. We invite all countries to trust our organization.” Looking ahead, the next milestone will be the launch of the ticketing packages valid for the entire tournament. These can be purchased from June 30 at noon (local time) on the ticketing platform www.passline.cl. The Chilean Hockey Federation was selected in 2021 by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to host the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup 2023. You can find quotes from the participating teams here. #RisingStars

    Hockey ID at Special Olympics World Games 2023: Preview

      Lausanne, Switzerland: Starting from 18 June, for the very first time in the history of the Special Olympics, Hockey for those with Intellectual Disabilities, known as Hockey ID, will be played at the Special Olympics World Games 2023 in Berlin as a demonstration sport. The games which begin tomorrow, 17 June, and run till 25 June, will feature over 7,000 athletes across 26 summer sports from 190 delegations. Hockey ID was chosen as a demonstration sport as one of the two sports from a pool of ten sports, with a key factor that sealed the deal for Hockey ID’s inclusion being the willingness of the FIH, the EHF and other national hockey associations to work in partnership with the Special Olympics. The Hockey ID matches will run from 18 June to 24 June and feature 13 mixed gender teams representing 4 continental hockey federations. Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Great Britain, Germany, Netherlands, Pakistan, Paraguay and Spain will all have squads of 10 players present at the games, with hosts Germany being represented by two teams. The matches will be played in a 6-a-side format, on half-sized hockey pitches with each game consisting of two halves of 15-minutes. Each team will field 6 players at one time with 4 additional players available to be substituted in. Belgium, Spain, Great Britain, Egypt, Netherlands, Pakistan and Germany (team 1) have been placed in Pool A, while Paraguay, Czech Republic, France, Chile, Bulgaria and Germany (team 2) have been placed in Pool B. The preliminary rounds will be played from 18 to 22 June, followed by knockout rounds on 22 and 23 June. The finals and the award ceremony are scheduled for 24 June. Norman Hughes, who is the FIH Hockey ID Project Lead and the driving force behind Hockey ID’s inclusion in the games, speaking before the games said: “To have 13 teams representing 4 continents in the very first edition of Hockey ID being played at the Special Olympics, is a very proud moment for our sport and shows the global interest in promoting inclusiveness. Our aim is to use the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023 as a tool to inspire more nations to develop and grow Hockey ID.” For more information about HockeyID at the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023 click here. #HockeyID #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.

      2023 Hockey5s Pan American Cups: Preview

        Lausanne, Switzerland: From 4-11 June 2023, the best Pan American hockey5s teams, in both men’s and women’s category, will gather in Kingston, Jamaica for the Hockey5s Pan American Cups (PAC) with three spots, in each gender, up for grabs in the inaugural FIH Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2024. Panama, USA, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Paraguay and Trinidad & Tobago will join hosts Jamaica in both men’s and women’s tournaments, with Puerto Rico (men), Uruguay (women) and Brazil (women) rounding out the competing teams, with 8 sides playing in the men’s tournament and 9 teams in the women’s. The women’s competition will get underway on the afternoon of 4 June with Paraguay taking on Costa Rica at 13:00 local time, while the men’s competition will get underway later on the same afternoon with Guatemala taking on Paraguay in the opening encounter. The teams will be split into two pools in each competition. In the men’s competition Jamaica, Panama, Puerto Rico and USA will play in Pool A, while Costa Rica, Guatemala, Paraguay and Trinidad & Tobago are placed in Pool B. In the women’s competition Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay and USA are placed in Pool A, while Brazil, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and Uruguay will compete in Pool B. Each team in the pool stage will play the other teams in the pool once. The top four teams in both pools will qualify for the cross-overs. The winning teams from the crossovers will qualify for the semi-finals. The losing semi-finalists will play in the bronze medal match. The two finalists and the bronze medalists in each gender will qualify for the corresponding FIH Hockey5s World Cup 2024. For further information about the 2023 Hockey5s Pan American Cups, click 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 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. Apart from the three qualifiers from Pan America, three teams from Oceania and Asia will also qualify for the World Cup. In the women’s competition Namibia, South Africa and Zambia from Africa have qualified for the World Cup, alongside hosts Oman. Apart from the three qualifiers from Pan America, three teams from Europe, Oceania and Asia will also qualify for the World Cup. #HockeyInvites #HockeyEquals #Hockey5s 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.

        India claim gold at Men’s Junior Asia Cup 2023, Women’s tournament to begin today

          Lausanne, Switzerland: From 23 May to 1 June 2023, the best young Asian men’s hockey teams went head-to-head in the Men’s Junior Asia Cup Salalah 2023, competing for the gold medal and the final three spots up for grabs in the upcoming FIH Junior Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023, to be played in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. India and Pakistan were the dominant teams in the Pool A winning three matches comprehensively, and played out an entertaining draw in their head-to-head matchup, as both teams earned qualification for the semi-finals, with India topping the group thanks to their superior goal difference. In Pool B, it was Malaysia on top, winning all four of their pool matches, and Korea finished second with three wins and a solitary loss, which came against Malaysia. The semi-finals were heavily one sided as India and Pakistan dominated their Pool B opponents. India claimed a 9-1 win over Korea with Boby Singh Dhami scoring a hat-trick and a total of 7 different players appearing on the scoresheet. Pakistan came out comfortable winners in the second semi-final with a 6-2 win over Malaysia. Rehman Abdul found the back of the goal thrice to propel Pakistan into the finals and himself to the top of the scoring charts. The finals saw India take on Pakistan, as the storied rivalry added yet another chapter to its books. A cagey and close encounter was edged by India who took a 2-goal lead into half-time and while Pakistan struck back once in the third quarter, India would hold their nerves to claim a 2-1 victory and the gold medal. Korea won the bronze medal match against Malaysia by a 2-1 margin. With the results India, Pakistan, Korea and Malaysia (hosts) have qualified for the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2023. Rehman Abdul of Pakistan and Kumpei Yasuda of Japan finished the tournament as the top goal scorers with 9 goals apiece. C.R. Kumar, coach of the Indian team, speaking on his team’s success said: “We had a very good tournament overall. To be able to deliver gold for the people in India is a very proud achievement for the boys. We had good preparation for the Asia Cup with the Sultan of Johor Cup last year. It’s important to get good practise against European teams as well, so we are looking forward to the matches against Spain and Germany in preparation for the World Cup.” Women’s Junior Asia Cup 2023 From 2-11 June 2023, the best women’s junior teams of Asia will compete in the Women’s Junior Asia Cup 2023 in Kakamigahara, Japan with three spots up for grabs in the upcoming FIH Junior Women’s World Cup Chile 2023! Chinese Taipei, India, Korea, Malaysia and Uzbekistan are placed in Pool A, while China, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Japan and Kazakhstan make up Pool B. The top two teams, in each pool, at the end of the pool stage will make it to the semi-finals. The losing semi-finalists will play in the bronze medal match, and the winner of that contest will join the two finalists in qualifying for the FIH Junior Hockey World Cup 2023. For further information about the Women’s Junior Asia Cup 2023, click here. The FIH Junior Hockey Women’s World Cup 2023 will be played in Santiago, Chile from 29 November to 10th December 2023. Chile have qualified as the hosts of the competition. Belgium, England, Germany, Netherlands and Spain have qualified from Europe. Australia and New Zealand have qualified from Oceania. South Africa and Zimbabwe are the qualifiers from Africa. USA, Argentina and Canada qualified from Pan America, and the final three teams will qualify from Asia to complete all the 16 spots in the upcoming World Cup. #HockeyInvites #HockeyEquals #RisingStars 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.

          AfHF PRESS RELEASE – JUNE 1, 2023

            1 June 2023 The Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) and the African Hockey Federation (AfHF) are pleased to announce renewal of a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for extending ongoing collaboration programs and coordinated efforts for the development of athletes, coaches, umpires, and officials. This MoU has a very long and positive history of cooperation between the continents.   The MoU is an imperative step towards continuous cooperation between the AHF and the AfHF. This will enhance the existing framework for joint initiatives, exchange programs, and equipment and resource sharing to uplift the standard of hockey. In particular, the AHF will continue to facilitate the AfHF’s procurement needs for equipment from Asian manufactures. The AHF will also provide Hockey equipment to the AfHF and support an Umpire Exchange protocol with African counterparts who would officiate in Asian Competitions and vice versa.  The understanding also includes participation in Educational and Developmental Projects.    Concurrent to the MoU renewal which has a successful record of two decades, the Asian HF and African HF also announced holding of a joint Development Forum to strengthen the ongoing collaboration. At this occasion, Mr. Seif Ahmed -AfHF President and FIH Executive Board member- stated: “I welcome and commend the renewal of the MoU for Inter-continental cooperation”. He thanked the AHF President Mr. Fumio Ogura for his unique initiative of organizing the first ever Afro-Asian Hockey Development Forum and foresees that the Forum will lead global Hockey to new heights and bring us closer in the spirit of collaboration for the development of Hockey.   Dato Fumio Ogura -AHF President- stated: “We are delighted to re-establish this partnership with the AfHF. We share values of Hockey and the commitment for Hockey’s global progress. We will empower each other and create more opportunities for our continents to excel in international competitions.”   Dato Tayyab Ikram -FIH President- appreciated the partnership between the Asian and African Hockey family. He emphasized the significance of solidarity in development and encouraged other continents to enter similar partnerships. “We admire and strongly support such continental twinning for collaboration, and so encourage other continents to take similar initiatives. The challenges faced by one continent can be transformed into opportunities with the support of others. The inter-continental collaborations will essentially develop a synergy which will ultimately facilitate global hockey development – and we need this synergy more than ever. We should work together to serve hockey in our best capacity”.   This partnership between the AHF and the AfHF sets the stage for exciting and promised growth of hockey in Asia and Africa. It represents a shared commitment to recognize and nurture talent, foster larger cooperation, and advance sports on both continental and global levels.   About the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF): The Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) is the governing body for field hockey in Asia. Comprising 33 member countries, the AHF aims to promote and develop hockey at all levels across the continent. The AHF organizes various tournaments, conducts educational programs, and works collaboratively with stakeholders to foster the growth of hockey in Asia.   About the African Hockey Federation (AfHF): The African Hockey Federation (AfHF) is the continental governing body responsible for the development and promotion of field hockey in Africa. Representing 26 member associations, the AfHF strives to create opportunities, improve standards, and increase the participation of African nations in international hockey competitions. The federation focuses on capacity building, grassroot development, and strengthening regional cooperation to advance the sport in Africa. For more information on the AfHF, visit: www.africahockey.org

            EHF and AfHF reach Memorandum of Understanding to work closer together

              The European Hockey Federation (EHF) and African Hockey Federation (AfHF) have reached a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate and work closer together in the coming years. “We are delighted to reach this Memorandum of Understanding,” EHF President Marijke Fleuren said following the signing of the agreement. “I am very happy with the increased cooperation between our two federations. We will see that both regions will benefit from our shared international experiences, be it in the realm of coaching, umpiring or officials. “This MoU also reflects the excellent relationship I have with my friend Seif, the President of the African Hockey Federation, which we built up in our joint time on the FIH Executive Board. “We look forward to supporting each other in our respective endeavours, programs and events and bring our different skill-sets together to grow the sport we love.” AfHF President Seif Ahmed said following the signing of the agreement: “My gratitude to Marijke – EHF President – and the EHF Executive Board members for this MoU which will have a major impact to narrow the wide gap of knowledge and experience between our continental talents, be it on the coaching, officiating or education fronts.” “Such a positive impact on the level of African Hockey will also benefit the global hockey family at large in terms of development and growth.” “Moreover, we target to take this MoU to the next level by having a combination of educational & touristic twinning programs around the sport of hockey. For example, European junior and/or senior teams can visit Africa and vice versa (e.g. trips to visit Egypt’s monuments or make a safari trip to Kenya/Tanzania in cooperation with local African National Associations) in combination with test matches, seminars, and officials exchange.” “I am happy to revive again the cooperation and family spirit which is not new to both our continents based on historical bi-lateral activities I have witnessed myself many years ago.” To achieve these objectives, EHF and AfHF will: cooperate in the development of content and materials that can be delivered through both networks. be in regular contact and share information related to upcoming programs and initiatives. be open to identifying potential areas for practical cooperation. provide advice and support on related issues. and where appropriate, share information and resources with both international networks. Specifically, the Memorandum of Understanding will see the facilitation of appointments for officials to national and regional leagues along with the facilitation of links and exchanges between national associations and clubs for development and competition. The EHF will allocate up to a maximum of three coaches, three umpires and three technical official places to the AfHF to attend seminars held on an annual basis. The EHF also agrees to facilitate the donations of sticks, balls, kit, and equipment to AfHF for use by nations and members on an annual basis. Click here to see the full Memorandum of Understanding document

              Signature Ceremony & Press Conference of the FIH Hockey5s Championship

                6 April 2023 A Signature Ceremony & Press Conference of the FIH Hockey5s Championship scheduled to take place on the Giza Plateau at the foot of the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. Tournament agreement signature ceremony takes place in the presence of Dr. Ashraf Sobhi – Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sports, Eng. Hisham Hatab – President Egyptian Olympic Committee, Mr. Seif Ahmed – FIH EB Member & AfHF President and Mr. Sherif Kamal – President Egyptian Hockey Federation. This FIH Hockey5s demonstration Tour Event is the 2nd after the inaugural tournament that took place in Lausanne, Switzerland 🇨🇭 in 2022 to promote the Hockey 5s format worldwide. Five Nations per gender will be invited to participate including the host Egypt 🇪🇬 International Hockey Federation (FIH) Asian Hockey Federation European Hockey Federation PAHF Pan American Hockey Federation Oceania Hockey Federation الأتحاد المصرى للهوكى EgyHockey Sports News Egypt Ministry of youth and Sports Hockey World News #Hockey5s #AfricaHockeyNews #HockeyInvites

                FIH Media

                Double delight for South Africa in Junior Africa Cup 2023

                  20 March 2023 Lausanne, Switzerland: From 12-16 March 2023, the best young hockey teams, in both men’s and women’s category, from Africa competed in the Junior Africa Cup at Ismailia, Egypt for the title and two spots per gender, in the upcoming FIH Junior World Cups 2023. In the women’s competition, South Africa were crowned champions winning the finals against Zimbabwe, who also qualified for the FIH Junior Women’s World Cup Chile 2023. It was double delight for South Africa as they were the winners in the men’s competition as well, defeating hosts Egypt, with both teams securing qualification for the FIH Junior Hockey Men’s World Cup Malaysia 2023. In the group stage of the women’s tournament South Africa were the dominant team, winning all three matches, scoring 19 goals and conceding none. In fact the South African team went through the entire tournament without conceding a single goal! Zimbabwe finished second in the group stage registering convincing wins over Kenya and Egypt, after recovering from an opening game 3-0 defeat to South Africa. The two teams faced off in the finals, and South Africa edged the hard fought match 1-0, thanks to a final quarter goal by Jesquinique Coltman. Zimbabwe’s second place finish assured them of a spot in the FIH Junior Women’s World Cup 2023, which is to be held in Santiago, Chile later this year. Tinodiwanashe Elijah (ZIM), Tamlyn Kock (RSA), Kutlwano May (RSA) were the top scorers in the tournament, scoring 4 goals from 4 games. Lenise Marais, coach of the victorious South African team, speaking on her team’s success said: “We are extremely pleased to have won the Junior Africa Cup and qualify for the Junior World Cup at the end of the year. The team has taken several key learnings away from the tournament last week and we trust these will help prepare us even more for the challenges coming ahead. As a team we would like to thank the AfHF, LOC and volunteers for a well organised event.” In the group stage of the men’s tournament South Africa finished in the top spot winning all three matches, scoring 15 goals and conceding just 1. Egypt finished second, registering wins against Zimbabwe and Kenya on either side of a defeat to South Africa. The finals was an exciting affair as South Africa seemed to be in complete control heading into the final quarter with a 2-0 lead, but a remarkable comeback by Egypt, who struck twice in 3 minutes sent the match into a shoot-out. The teams were locked in at 3-3 after five attempts, but it was the South African team who held their nerves in the sudden death to prevail 4-3 in the shoot-outs. Egypt’s second place finish assured them of a spot in the FIH Junior Men’s World Cup 2023, which is to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia later this year. James Flint (RSA) was the stand out scorer in the tournament, scoring 5 goals from penalty corners, including one in the finals. Guy Elliott, coach of the South African team, speaking after his team’s title victory, said: “I am extremely proud of my team’s performance. It has not been an easy process to get to Egypt, and for them to perform regardless of that, shows the strength and determination of the team. I feel that the team’s spirit and identity reflects who South Africans are.” 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. #HockeyEquals #HockeyInvites

                  Junior Africa Cup [JAC] 2023 (Men/Women) | South Africa Wins Gold

                    Congratulations to South Africa 🇿🇦 Men U21 for winning the Gold Medal🥇- Junior Africa Cup 2023 🏑🏆 Full Time : South Africa 🇿🇦 2️⃣ (4) – Egypt 🇪🇬 2️⃣ (3) #JAC2023 #AfricaHockeyNews Congratulations to South Africa 🇿🇦 Women U21 for winning the Gold Medal🥇- Junior Africa Cup 2023 🏑🏆 Full Time : South Africa 🇿🇦 1️⃣ – Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 0️⃣ #JAC2023 #AfricaHockeyNews