India climb to third, France break into top ten in the latest FIH World Rankings

    September 18, 2023 Lausanne, Switzerland: International Hockey action over the past few months has been limited to continental competitions as the Asian Champions Trophy and EuroHockey Championships 2023 saw the best of Asia and Europe compete for continental supremacy. With India and Netherlands coming away with the trophies, we take a look at the impact the tournaments had on the world rankings. In the FIH Men’s World Rankings, Netherlands (3113) continue to lead the way with a strong defence of their title at the EuroHockey Championships, to add to their FIH Hockey Pro League title and the bronze medal at the FIH Hockey World Cup in 2023. Netherlands’ dominance has seen them pull a comfortable lead over Belgium (2989) in second place. India (2771) are back into the top-3, more than year after dropping out in May 2022, thanks to their undefeated run on the way to the title at the Asian Champions Trophy 2023, where they won six and drew one of their seven matches. Dropping out of the third place are England (2745) who fell just short of winning the EuroHockey title with a 2-1 loss to the Netherlands in the final. Despite their strong run to the finals, an earlier loss in the tournament against Belgium and the loss in the final, coupled with India’s run of wins, sees England slip to fourth. Germany (2689) and Australia (2544) hold on to the fifth and sixth positions, while Argentina (2350) climb up one spot into seventh ahead of Spain (2347). Spain’s sixth place finish in the EuroHockey Championships, losing matches against England, Belgium and France, sees them drop below Argentina, losing over a hundred world ranking points through the course of the tournament. France (2052) are back inside the top-10 for the first time since May 2022, climbing up to the ninth spot. A strong run in the EuroHockey Championships saw them finish fifth in the tournament with important wins over Spain, Wales and Austria. Despite France’s surge, Malaysia (2041) hold on to the tenth spot in the world rankings thanks to their run to the finals of the Asian Champions Trophy, as they climbed above Korea (1932) who finished the event in the fourth position, having come in as the defending champions. Between Malaysia in tenth and Korea in twelfth sit New Zealand (1938), just outside the top-10, in eleventh. In the FIH Women’s World Rankings, Netherlands (3422) at the top spot, remain well clear of the chasing pack, continuing their dominance with a record-extending twelfth EuroHockey Championship title. Australia (2818) and Argentina (2767) stay in the second and third spots respectively. After the end of the FIH Hockey Pro League season, Germany and Belgium were separated by one world ranking point, with the Danas staying just ahead of the Red Panthers. However, Belgium (2609) put on a great campaign at the EuroHockey Championships, winning the silver medal that propels them ahead of Germany (2574) as the two teams occupy the fourth and fifth spots in the world rankings. India (2325) have climbed one spot to the seventh place, at the expense of Spain (2173), who finished sixth in the EuroHockey Championships dropping over 150 world ranking points in losses against Belgium and Scotland. New Zealand (2001) and Japan (1900) continue to hold their ninth and tenth spots in the world rankings, with China (1894) marginally behind Japan in the eleventh spot. To see the complete FIH World Rankings, please click here. The rankings calculations model that FIH introduced on 1st January 2020 moved away from the previous tournament-based rankings system to a dynamic, match-based method where opposing teams exchange points in official, FIH sanctioned games. The number of points exchanged depends on the result of the match, the relative ranking of the teams and the importance of the match. More information about the new rankings model can be found below. How the FIH World Rankings work: The number of points exchanged depends on the result of the match, the relative ranking of the teams and the importance of the match. FIH World Rankings explained: Based on the Elo rating system, which is used as the basis of many other sports ranking systems When two nations play against each other, a number of ranking points are exchanged between them In every match, the number of points gained by one team is exactly matched by the number of points lost by the other Teams will win more points for beating teams ranked above them, and therefore teams will lose more points for losing to a team ranked below them Teams will win less points for beating teams ranked below them, and therefore teams will lose less points for losing to a team ranked above them If a draw occurs, the lower ranked team will gain a small number of points and the higher ranked team will lose the same number of points The number of points exchanged is dependent on the result of the match (win, lose, shootout win/loss or draw), the importance of the match (part of a major tournament, or a test series for example), and the relative difference in ranking points between the teams before the match. More details about the formula used in the algorithm, weightings of matches and other factors can be found HERE together with a Frequently Asked Questions document HERE. #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.

    Officials announced for Olympic Games Paris 2024

      September 12, 2023 Lausanne, Switzerland: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has today confirmed the names of the technical delegates, technical officials, umpire managers, umpires and medical officers who are appointed to the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The selection has been made by the FIH Technical Officials and Umpiring Committees, chaired by Sheila Brown (South Africa) and Roger St. Rose (Trinidad and Tobago) respectively. Officials for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 Continuing hockey’s drive towards maintaining gender equality in the sport, there will again be a 50-50 split of the officials at the Games across Umpires and Technical Officials. This is a key target for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) who aim to achieve this across all sports at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Speaking on the announcement of officials for Olympic Games Paris 2024, FIH President Tayyab Ikram said: “Officials play a fundamental role and give a very substantial part of their free time to their passion for the sport! This is remarkable and I’d like to thank each and every hockey official, anywhere in the world. To all those who’ve been selected for the Olympic Games in Paris next year: huge congratulations! This is a fantastic achievement. On behalf of FIH, I want to assure you of our full confidence, support and respect. And I’m particularly pleased that the split of all officials across both genders will be an exact 50-50, in line with the overarching gender equality principle which prevails in our sport.” Introduced at the Olympic Games London 1908, hockey at Olympic Games Paris 2024 will mark its 25th appearance in the quadrennial sporting event. Both men’s and women’s events at the Olympic Games will involve 12 of the world’s best hockey nations. Find out more about Hockey at the Olympic Games on Olympics.hockey. 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. #EnRouteToParis #HockeyEquals #HockeyInvites Congratulations to Africa’s appointed Officials Technical Officials: FRANK OTI-MENSAH (Ghana) KAYS KANYANGARARA (Zimbabwe) SARAH BENNETT (Zimbabwe)   Umpires: ANNELIZE ROSTRON (South Africa) SEAN RAPAPORT (South Africa) WANRI VENTER (South Africa)   Medical Officers: LEIGH GORDON (South Africa)  

      African Hockey Road to Paris 2024 (M/W) logo and teams revealed

        The African Hockey Road to Paris 2024 (M/W) will take place during the period 29 Oct. – 5 Nov. 2023 in Pretoria, South Africa with 8 Men & 7 Women teams. Men: South Africa  Egypt Ghana Nigeria Zimbabwe Kenya Zambia Uganda Women: South Africa Ghana Kenya Nigeria Zimbabwe Namibia Zambia #EnRouteToParis #HockeyInvites #AfricaHockeyNews  

        FIH Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2024 pools revealed!

          03 September, 2023 The highly anticipated FIH Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2024 was officially launched today at a ceremony which took place in Salalah, Oman attended by FIH President Tayyab Ikram, chief guest H.H. Sayyid Firas Bin Fatik Al Said and Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth H.E. Basil bin Ahmed Al Rawas. On this occasion, the pools of the tournament were revealed. In the women’s competition hosts Oman were drawn in Pool A along with Malaysia, Fiji and Netherlands. Australia, South Africa, Ukraine and Zambia are placed in Pool B. India, United States, Poland and Namibia are in Pool C, while New Zealand, Uruguay, Thailand and Paraguay complete Pool D. In the men’s competition Netherlands were drawn with Pakistan, Poland and Nigeria in Pool A. India, Egypt, Switzerland and Jamaica will compete in Pool B. Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad & Tobago and Kenya are placed in Pool C, while hosts Oman will face Malaysia, United States and Fiji in Pool D. The 16 men’s and women’s teams from around the world will all be vying to become the first ever Hockey5s World Champions when the World Cup gets underway from 24-31 January 2024 in Muscat, Oman. FIH President Tayyab Ikram, in his message congratulated all the 32 teams that qualified for the FIH Hockey5s World Cup and said: “I would like to congratulate all the 16 men’s and women’s teams that will be a part of the record books as the first teams to compete in an FIH Hockey5s World Cup! You represent the very best of Hockey5s; and you will be the trailblazers and the role models for all future players who take up this new and exciting format of our beloved sport” Speaking about the new era that the FIH Hockey5s World Cup 2024 ushers, he added: “The draw ceremony today not only sets up the path to the gold medal for our teams, but also heralds the dawn of a new era in Hockey! Hockey5s is not just a very exciting format, but it is also a highly accessible version of Hockey that I am sure will inspire even more youngsters to pick up the stick and the ball and start playing our beautiful sport. Special thanks to Oman Hockey Association as they will, as we know it, put together a fantastic show for the inaugural Hockey5s World Cup.” For more information about the FIH Hockey5s World Cup 2024, please click here. Source: fih.hockey

          FIH President Tayyab Ikram appointed to IOC Olympic Solidarity Commission

            31 August, 2023 The International Hockey Federation (FIH) was delighted to learn this week that FIH President, Tayyab Ikram, has been appointed by the International Olympic Committee’s President, Thomas Bach, to the IOC Olympic Solidarity Commission. The Olympic Solidarity Commission is responsible for defining the main courses of action and managing the activities of Olympic Solidarity, for example by approving programmes and the related budgets, and monitoring their implementation. It enjoys financial, technical and administrative autonomy, and reports to the IOC Executive Board and President, keeping them regularly informed about the main decisions taken. In a letter addressed to the FIH President, IOC President Thomas Bach wrote: “Having reviewed the composition of the IOC Commissions this year, in consultation with their respective chairs, it is a great pleasure for me to appoint you as a member of the Olympic Solidarity Commission. I thank you in advance for the valuable contribution you will provide to the work of the commission and look forward to the great pleasure of seeing you soon.” Speaking on the appointment, Mr Ikram said: “It is a great honour for me to once again serve in the IOC Olympic Solidarity Commission, which has a huge impact on the athletes and in sports overall. It is a very important responsibility that I welcome wholeheartedly. The Commission does a lot for the welfare of athletes and the development of sport in all countries which has always been a personal mission of mine as well. My goal will be to not just help our sport of hockey, but also all athletes, no matter which sport they belong to.” Source: fih.hockey

            India claim double gold at Hockey5s Asia Cup 2023

              02 September, 2023 The inaugural Hockey5s Asia Cup came to an end today at Salalah, Oman as both Indian women’s and men’s teams claimed the gold medals. The top three finishers (men and women) were guaranteed a spot at the inaugural FIH Hockey5s World Cup 2024. Joining India in the women’s podium, and securing their spot at the World Cup, were Thailand as silver medalists, and Malaysia as bronze medalists. In the men’s competition, joining India in qualifying for the World Cup, were Pakistan who won the silver medal and Malaysia, who finished fourth behind Oman, who took bronze. As Oman have already qualified for the World Cup as hosts, Malaysia take the third available spot from Asia. In the women’s competition, India went unbeaten throughout the tournament, topping the Elite pool registering three wins in their three matches. Thailand finished second to secure their semi-final spot. Japan and Malaysia went into the crossovers against Indonesia and Hong Kong China, who finished as the top two teams in the challenger pool. Indonesia and Malaysia were the crossover winners and moved on to the semi-finals. India defeated Malaysia 9-5 in a goalfest in the first semi-final, while Thailand relied on a solid defence to take a 5-2 win over Indonesia in the second semi-final. The bronze medal match produced a thriller, with the teams ending regulation time tied at 4-goals apiece. Malaysia were down 4-1 at half-time but scored thrice in the second half to pull level and won the bronze medal in the shoot-outs. In the final Thailand led 2-1 midway through the opening half, but India scored 6 unanswered goals from that point on to snatch the gold medal and become the inaugural champions. In the men’s competition, Pakistan and India topped the Elite pool securing their spots in the semi-finals. Pakistan topped the group with 13 points, while India finished second on 12 points. In their pool stage head-to-head match Pakistan got the better of India in a 5-4 thriller. In the first stage of crossover matches, Iran and Oman defeated Japan and Kazakhstan to make it to the second stage crossover matches. Oman defeated Bangladesh 5-3 to make it to the semi-finals, while Iran’s challenge came to a halt in a 6-1 loss to Malaysia. India and Pakistan sealed a finals rematch, as Pakistan won their semi-final against Oman by a 7-3 margin, while India overcame an early 2-1 deficit to win 10-4 against Malaysia. The finals once again proved to be a tight contest between India and Pakistan as the momentum and lead switched hands multiple times. At the end of full time the teams were tied at 4-4 and the title was to be decided by a shoot-out. India edged the shoot-out and claimed the gold medal, with both teams securing a spot in the upcoming World Cup. Oman claimed the bronze medal with a 5-4 win over Malaysia. But with Oman already qualifying for the World Cup as hosts, the third available qualification spot from Asia went to Malaysia as the fourth placed team. 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. All 16 teams participating in the women’s competition have now qualified. Oman (hosts), Namibia, South Africa and Zambia (Africa), USA, Uruguay and Paraguay (Pan America), Netherlands, Poland and Ukraine (Europe) Australia, New Zealand and Fiji (Oceania), India, Thailand and Malaysia (Asia) will be the 16 teams to participate in the World Cup. All 16 teams participating in the men’s competition have now qualified. Oman (hosts),  Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland (Europe), Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria(Africa), USA, Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica(Pan America), Australia, New Zealand and Fiji (Oceania), India, Pakistan and Malaysia (Asia) will be the 16 teams to participate in the World Cup. Source: fih.hockey

              FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Malaysia 2023: 100 Days to Go!

                Lausanne, Switzerland: The FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Malaysia 2023 will spring into action in exactly 100 days at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as a new generation of players aim to write themselves into the history books of Hockey! 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 24 June, at the official launch ceremony of the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Malaysia 2023. The pools were established on the basis of the very first FIH Junior World Rankings. The World Cup will get underway on 5 December and run until 16 December. Pool B action between France and Egypt will get the tournament underway at 9:00 local time on the opening day, which will see 12 teams get their campaign underway. Germany vs South Africa, Spain vs Canada, Argentina vs Australia and India vs Korea will follow the opening match. Hosts Malaysia will take on Chile in the final encounter of the opening day, with the hopes of making a perfect start in front of their passionate home fans. Malaysia has a rich relationship with the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cups, having hosted the event on three occasions in the past. The cities of Kuala Lumpur (1982), Ipoh (1989) and Johor Bahru (2009) hosted the second, fourth and ninth editions of the event respectively. The 13th edition of the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup will see Kuala Lumpur play hosts once again, 41 years since the event was last held in Malaysia’s capital city. As the popularity of Hockey continues to rise in Malaysia, the country will once again welcome the hockey world, in what promises to be another spectacular edition of the biennial event that starts off in exactly 100 days from today! Schedule The complete match schedule for the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Malaysia 2023 can be found here. Pools Pool A: Argentina, Australia, Chile, Malaysia Pool B: Egypt, France, Germany, South Africa Pool C: Canada, India, Korea, Spain Pool D: Belgium, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan Quotes Quotes from the participating teams 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. #RisingStars #HockeyEquals #HockeyInvites

                Netherlands seal Olympic Games Paris 2024 qualification!

                  Lausanne, Switzerland: The EuroHockey Championships 2023 came to an end today with Netherlands claiming the women’s and men’s title and securing direct qualification to the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Netherlands women were the reigning champions and defended their title against Belgium in the finals, to lift the continental championship, for a record 12th time! Dutch men followed suit, defending their EuroHockey title, in a tense final against England. Following Netherlands’ victory in the women’s competition, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Spain and Italy will now move on to the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2024 where they will get a second opportunity to qualify for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Following Netherlands’ victory in the men’s competition, Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, Spain and Austria will now move on to the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2024 where they will get a second opportunity to qualify for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. In the EuroHockey Women’s Championship, Netherlands and Germany were the dominant forces during the pool stages, securing 3 wins in 3 matches in Pool A and Pool B respectively. Belgium finished second in Pool A registering 6 points, while England did the same in Pool B, setting up semi-final clashes against Germany and Netherlands, respectively. The first semi-final between Netherlands and England looked to be a close affair, with neither team managing to score in the opening half. But Netherlands drew first blood in the second half and that opened the floodgates as they ran away 7-0 winners! The second semi-final between Belgium and Germany went down to the wire. Belgium opened the scoring early in the first quarter through 18-year old Emily White, and while both teams had plenty of opportunities to score, the match ended at 1-0 in favour of Belgium. Netherlands grabbed the initiative early in the opening quarter of the final, scoring twice inside 5 minutes through Marijn Veen and Freeke Moes. Belgium pulled a goal back in the second quarter, but Netherlands answered back almost instantly to take a 2-goal lead into the break. Netherlands put on a game management masterclass in the second half to seal a 3-1 victory and win a record 12th EuroHockey Championships title, which sees them gain direct qualification to the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Germany secured the bronze medal with a 3-0 win over England. In the EuroHockey Men’s Championship, Belgium topped Pool A winning all three of their matches. Germany topped Pool B, winning their matches against Netherlands and France, but dropped two points against Wales, in an entertaining 3-3 draw. 6 points for England and Netherlands in Pool A and Pool B respectively, ensured their progression to the semi-finals as well. Both semi-finals were closely contested affairs. A see-saw battle in the first semi-final saw Belgium take an early lead. But Netherlands scored twice in quick succession in the second half to snatch the lead back. Belgium equalised late in the third quarter setting up a tense final quarter, where a 57th minute goal by Duco Telgenkamp proved enough to lift Netherlands past Belgium. The second semi-final between Germany and England ended in a 0-0 draw at the end of regulation time and England edged past the hosts in the shoot-out, scoring on all 5 of their attempts, while Germany’s fifth attempt by captain Mats Grambusch, was saved by James Mazarello, which gave them the win and lifting them into the finals. Netherlands were dominant in the opening exchanges of the final against England and were rewarded with an early lead as Derck de Vilder opened the scoring in the 9th minute. Netherlands added a second goal in the third quarter to extend their lead, but Sam Ward brought England back striking at the start of the final quarter. England played most of the final quarter without a goalkeeper as they searched for an equaliser. Their best chance to score arrived from two penalty strokes right at the end of the game. Nicolas Bandurak saw his attempt saved by Visser, but Visser had just strayed off his line before the shot was taken, so Bandurak had an opportunity for instant redemption, but once again his stroke was brilliantly saved by Visser, who got his left boot to the ball, giving his team the win, their seventh EuroHockey Championship gold medal and sealing their spot at the Olympic Games Paris 2024! Belgium secured the bronze medal, registering a convincing 2-0 win over Germany. 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. Australia (men and women) were winners of the Oceania Cup, which sealed their qualification. Netherlands (men and women) now qualify as the European champions, leaving 9 spots up for grabs. The winners of each of the remaining 3 continental championships in the Americas, Africa and Asia 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.