Meeting with Egyptian Sports Minister

Egypt to host the 1st African Hockey 5s World Cup in December 2022

    Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sports, met on Monday with Mr. Seif Ahmed, Acting President of the International Hockey Federation (FIH), Mr. Sherif Kamal, President of the الاتحاد المصري للهوكي Egyptian Hockey Federation 2020, Mr. Ahmed Azmy, CEO of the African Hockey Federation and Mr. Tarek Mostafa, Vice President of the Egyptian Hockey Federation. The meeting discussed preparations for Egypt to host the 1st African Hockey 5s World Cup qualifier next December 2022 and the U21 Junior Africa Cup next March 2023. The meeting also reviewed the study of Egypt to host next March a demonstration Hockey 5s Championship by the iconic Pyramids. The meeting took place in the presence of a number of leaders of the Ministry, including Dr. Muhammad Al-Kurdi, Head of the Central Department of Sports Performance and Mr. Ihab Al-Ebyari, Director General of Sports Facilities. Dr. Ashraf Sobhy affirmed Egypt’s full readiness to host various tournaments throughout the year thanks to Egypt’s unique characteristics and in light of the directives of the political leadership to make Egypt a global platform for hosting major tournaments and sporting events. The Minister drew attention to the importance of a good organization of the 1st African Hockey 5s Championship, which is being held in its first edition, and to provide all support to it to achieve success at various levels, wishing success to all participating teams in the tournament. #AfricaHockeyNews #HockeyInvites

    FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar – Rourkela: Pools revealed!

      8 September 2022 Lausanne, Switzerland: On the occasion of the draw ceremony held today at the Convention Centre, in Lok Sewa Bhawan, Bhubaneswar (India), the four Pools of the upcoming FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar – Rourkela have been determined as follows: Pool A is headed up by current FIH World Rankings (WR) number one Australia, who got the bronze medal at the last World Cup in 2018. They will play 2016 Olympic Champions Argentina (WR:7), France (WR:11), playing their fourth World Cup, and African Champions South Africa (WR:14). In Pool B, reigning World Champions Belgium (WR:2) are the top seed and they were drawn to face 2002 and 2006 World Champions Germany (WR:4). Both European teams will face two representatives from Asia, namely Korea (WR:12) and Japan (WR:17). Pool C will feature the finalists from the last edition, the Netherlands (WR:3), at the head of the group. They will come up against the other Oceania’s representative New Zealand (WR:9), Malaysia (WR:10), playing their ninth World Cup, and newcomers Chile (WR:23), participating for the very first time in a FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup. In Pool D, hosts India are the highest ranked side (WR:5). They will face England (WR:6), which they’ve recently met at the Commonwealth Games Birmingham 2022 for a thrilling encounter (4-4), two-time silver medallists (1971, 1998) Spain (WR:8) and Wales (WR: 16), who, like Chile, will play their maiden World Cup. As already announced, India, Australia, Belgium and Netherlands were placed on the first row of their corresponding Pools based on the FIH World Rankings as per 1 June 2022. Hon’ble Chief Minister, Government of Odisha Shri Naveen Patnaik and FIH Acting President Seif Ahmed attended the draw ceremony, as well as Shri Tusharkanti Behera, Hon’ble Minister – Sports & Youth Services, Odisha, Dr S Y Quraishi, Member, CoA, Hockey India, Mr. Zafar Iqbal, Member, CoA, Hockey India, Shri Dilip Tirkey, Chairman, Hockey Promotion Council of Odisha, Shri Suresh Chandra Mahapatra, IAS, Chief Secretary & Chief Development Commissioner, Odisha, Shri V K Pandian, IAS, Secretary to Hon’ble Chief Minister, Shri R Vineel Krishna, IAS, Commissioner cum Secretary, Department of Sports & Youth Services, Odisha, amongst other personalities. The draw proceedings were conducted by FIH CEO Thierry Weil. Hon’ble Chief Minister, Government of Odisha Shri Naveen Patnaik said: “We are always very proud to welcoming the best hockey teams and players of the world for such an outstanding event. This time, the appetite is even bigger since, on top of our magnificent Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar – where so many wonderful sports stories have already been written – we are inviting the world to a brand-new arena, namely the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela. This new stadium is a further testimony of our strong commitment towards hockey. Congratulations and best wishes to all teams!” FIH Acting President Seif Ahmed said: “We can’t wait to see the best teams in the world in action in the new “jewel” of hockey, the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, which, alongside the iconic Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar, will play host to the 2023 FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup. I wish to renew our sincerest thanks to Hockey India and to the State of Odisha for hosting the 15th edition of this World Cup. With their commitment, experience and passion, you can expect nothing else but an amazing event coming our way in 4 months time! I wish already the very best of luck to all participating teams and officials, and invite all fans to tune in early next year: an unforgettable hockey show is awaiting you!” The pinnacle of the FIH men’s tournaments will be held from 13 to 29 January 2023 in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, in the state of Odisha, India. Belgium are the current World Champions, having defeated the Netherlands in the Final of the 2018 edition. #HWC2023 #HockeyInvites #HockeyEquals Note: after the draw, quotes from players will be gradually added here. FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar Pool A: Australia, Argentina, France, South Africa Pool B: Belgium, Germany, Korea, Japan Pool C: Netherlands, New Zealand, Malaysia, Chile Pool D: India, England, Spain, Wales 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.

      Stars Awards

      FIH Hockey Stars Awards 2021-22: Shortlists revealed as voting opens!

        6 September 2022 Lausanne, Switzerland: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is delighted to reveal the shortlists for the FIH Hockey Stars Awards 2021-22, with players, coaches, media and fans being able to register their votes for the nominees in the women’s and men’s categories for the Best Player, Goalkeeper, Rising Star and Coach of the Year, starting from today, 6 September 2022. Additionally, awards for the Best Umpire of the Year, in men’s and women’s categories will be given, which will be selected by the FIH Officials Committee. The new voting process includes an Expert Group, whose votes will count for 40% of the overall result. Votes from National Associations, represented by their respective national teams’ captains and coaches, will count for a further 20%. The fans and other players (20%) as well as media (20%) will make the remaining 40%. Fans and players can cast their vote here Media can cast their vote here List of Awards FIH Player of the Year (Women & Men) FIH Rising Star of the Year (Women & Men, under 21 years old and/or having participated at the FIH Junior World Cup in 2021/2022) FIH Goalkeeper of the Year (Women & Men) FIH Coach of the Year (Women’s & Men’s Team) FIH Umpire of the Year (Women & Men), to be selected by the FIH Officials Committee The shortlisted individuals in each category can be found below: FIH Player of the Year Award Women: Felice Albers (NED), María José Granatto (ARG), Frédérique Matla (NED), Agustina Gorzelany (ARG), Georgina Oliva (ESP) Men: Arthur de Sloover (BEL), Harmanpreet Singh (IND), Niklas Wellen (GER), Thierry Brinkman (NED), Tom Boon (BEL) FIH Goalkeeper of the Year Award Women: Savita (IND), Josine Koning (NED), Belén Succi (ARG), Jocelyn Bartram (AUS), Phumelela Mbande (RSA) Men: Loïc van Doren (BEL), PR Sreejesh (IND), Pirmin Blaak (NED), Arthur Thieffry (FRA), Alexander Stadler (GER) FIH Rising Star of the Year Award Women: Charlotte Englebert (BEL), Luna Fokke (NED), Mumtaz Khan (IND), Jip Dicke (NED), Amy Lawton (AUS) Men: Miles Bukkens (NED), Timothée Clément (FRA), Sanjay (IND), Pau Cunill (ESP), Rizwan Ali (PAK) FIH Coach of the Year Award Women’s Team: Janneke Schopman (NED) Team India, Jamilon Mülders (GER) Team Netherlands, Katrina Powell (AUS) Team Australia, Raoul Ehren (NED) Team Belgium, Adrian Lock (ENG) Team Spain Men’s Team: Jeroen Delmee (NED) Team Netherlands, Michel van den Heuvel (NED) Team Belgium, Graham Reid (AUS) Team India, Garreth Ewing (RSA) Team South Africa, Frédéric Soyez (FRA) Team France The final shortlist was established solely by an Expert Group composed of players, former players, coaches and officials selected by each of their Continental Federations (note: the composition of the Expert Group is available here). Before establishing the final shortlist, the Expert Group received a long list of players and coaches based on performance data registered during the concerned period; of course, the Group had the opportunity to amend or add to the list as they wished. The following events were considered as a part of the selection process: FIH Hockey Pro League FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup FIH Hockey Junior World Cups Continental Championships (senior category) Data analysed: 400+ women players across 150+ matches 300+ men players across 72+ matches Detailed stats (total goals, assists, saves, shots at goal, tackles, passes, shoot outs, wins, losses, etc.) collected from each event as mentioned above (except continental events) Player of the match awards Player of the event awards The voting process will remain open till 30 September at midnight CEST, with the winners for all categories being announced in early October 2022. 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. #HockeyStarsAwards #HockeyEquals #HockeyInvites

        South Africa to host inaugural Men’s Nations Cup

        FIH Hockey Nations Cup: pools and match schedules revealed

          The International Hockey Federation has revealed the pools (two groups of four teams each) and match schedules of both upcoming FIH Hockey Nations Cups, Men’s and Women’s. The FIH Hockey Nations Cup ushers a new dawn of promotion and relegation in the FIH Hockey Pro League with the winning team of the first FIH Hockey Nations Cup having the chance to be promoted to the 2023-24 FIH Hockey Pro League (provided they meet the necessary requirements for it). The FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup will run from 28 November to 4 December 2022, in Potchefstroom, South Africa. The hosts South Africa, will play in Pool A with France, Ireland and Pakistan; while Canada joins the Asian triumvirate of Korea, Japan and Malaysia in the Pool B. The opening match will see two Asian powerhouses go head-to-head as Malaysia take on Korea on 28 November at the North-West University of Potchefstroom to start the new era of international hockey. The Final will be played on 4 December (see full match schedule here). The list of officials for the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup 2022 can be found here. The FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup will run from 11 to 17 December 2022, in Valencia, Spain. The hosts Spain, will play in Pool A with Korea, Ireland and Italy; while India, Japan, Canada and South Africa compete in Pool B. The opening match will be played on 11 December in Valencia between India and Canada; two teams who are very familiar with each other having faced off in the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup Spain and Netherlands 2022 as well as the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, within the past two months. The Final will be played on 17 December (see full match schedule here). The list of officials for the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2022 can be found 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. #FIHNationsCup #HockeyInvites #HockeyEquals

          FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar – Rourkela: draw scheduled on 8 September

            1 September 2022 Lausanne, Switzerland: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is pleased to announce that the draw ceremony to determine the pools of the upcoming FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar – Rourkela will be held on 8 September, at 12 noon IST/ 08h30 CEST, at the Convention Centre, Lok Sewa Bhawan, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. It will be streamed live on Watch.Hockey. The pinnacle of the FIH men’s tournaments will be held from 13 to 29 January 2023 and involve 16 participating national teams. Those include India, as the hosts of the competition, whilst Malaysia, Japan and Korea are the other Asian teams. Africa is represented by South Africa, recent winners of the Africa Cup of Nations. From Europe, the following teams have qualified: Belgium, England, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, France and Wales. Argentina and Chile are the two American teams having booked their ticket for the prestigious tournament, while Australia and New Zealand, from Oceania, complete the draw. The draw will be conducted by FIH CEO Thierry Weil, with the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha, Shri Naveen Patnaik also in attendance. The four top teams which include host India, Australia, Belgium and Netherlands will be placed on the first row of their corresponding Pools based on the FIH World Rankings as per 1 June 2022. The draw will start with Row 4 of each Pool, involving the following teams: South Africa, Wales, Japan and Chile. It will then continue with Row 3 of each Pool (involving Spain, Malaysia, France and Korea) and conclude with Row 2 of each Pool (with Germany, England, Argentina and New Zealand). The Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar and the brand-new Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela will host the matches, in the state of Odisha, India. In the previous edition, in 2018, Belgium claimed the title by winning the final against Netherlands, while Australia wrapped up the podium places, finishing third. 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. #HWC2023 #HockeyInvites #HockeyEquals

            13th African Games - Accra 2023

            North-West African Qualifiers for AAG 2023 Cancelled

              Due to the late withdrawal of Sierra Leone Men’s Team, this tournament was cancelled by the AfHF. Ghana 🇬🇭 (Men) & Nigeria 🇳🇬 (Men) are automatically qualified for the AAG 2023 in Accra, Ghana.

              FIH Hockey Pro League 2022-2023: Venues and timings confirmed!

                23 August 2022 Lausanne, Switzerland: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) and the FIH Hockey Pro League participating nations are glad to confirm as below the venues that will be used for the fourth season of FIH’s global league for national teams – ‘Hockey at its Best’ – which will run from 28 October 2022 to 5 July 2023: Australia: Newcastle, Hobart Argentina: Mendoza, Santiago del Estero Belgium: Antwerp England: London India: Bhubaneswar, Rourkela Netherlands: Eindhoven, Amsterdam New Zealand: Christchurch, Wellington As already announced in March, a new schedule – based on a series of “mini-tournaments” where several teams will gather in one venue to play two matches against each other – will come into force for this new Pro League season. This format will have a major positive impact on players’ welfare and the environment, thanks to a substantial reduction in the amount of travel needed for each team and the officials. Another great advantage of this revised format is that it increases the number of dates available for athletes to compete in their domestic leagues and club competitions. Furthermore, this season will see the implementation of a promotion-relegation principle for the very first time, with the team finishing last being relegated, while the team winning the 2022 FIH Hockey Nations Cup – a new event – being promoted for the 2023-2024 Pro League season. FIH CEO Thierry Weil said: “The integration of the promotion-relegation principle will substantially add to the excitement around Pro League. Also, the new format is beneficial to everyone, athletes, National Associations, clubs and fans in particular. We’re glad to welcome some new venues for this season; this is great for the growth of our sport! We’re very much looking forward to the fourth edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League!” The FIH Hockey Pro League 2022-2023 match schedule, including the match timings, is available here. #FIHProLeague #HockeyEquals #HockeyInvites 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.