FIH set to introduce World League starting August

MUMBAI: Taking a major leap forward to promote hockey, the FIH has introduced World League that will also double up as qualifiers for World Cup and Olympic Qualifiers.

To be played every two years, the final of the World League will be held in India in February 2014 while the women?s final will be played in December 2013 in Argentina. The league will begin in August after the London Olympics.

"There are about 80 men and 58 women teams that have shown the desire to compete. The competition will also be a qualifier for the Olympics and the World Cup," FIH president Leandro Negre said announcing the league."Eight top teams from the League will join the top-eight FIH teams to play the finals."

From 2014, Olympics and World Cup spots will be filled by one host country (subject to IOC agreement for Olympics), five places for continental champions and six or seven team from World League.

The FIH is also planning to chalk out its Future Teams Programme on the lines of ICC.

?We have a planned schedule till the 2014 World Cup, and in our next Congress we will discuss on the 2014-2018 calendar. It would be based on our two pillars?the World Cup and the Olympics. This is a work in progress and the goal is to have hockey played continuously," explained FIH CEO Kelly Fairweather.

"And every alternate year we would have the Champions Trophy. The thing is we have to squeeze in tournaments like your Asian Games, the Champions Challenge and Sultan Azlan Shah. We haven?t yet finalised on it, but it certainly is top on our agenda."