Sport - Hockey

World champion ceases to be automatic qualifier

By S. Thyagarajan

CHENNAI, MARCH 12. The Executive Board (EB) of the International Hockey Federation (FIH), during its meeting at Kuala Lumpur last week, decided that the World Cup champion would not be an automatic qualifier for the next edition of the championship, the venue of which is to be decided at its next meeting in Lausanne in July. Germany and Spain are among the candidates for hosting the next World Cup, possibly for both men and women.

However, no clear guidelines could be framed for qualifying tournaments other than stipulating that the five continental winners and the host be among the automatic qualifiers. Several proposals, including that of increasing the number of qualifiers from the continental championships, were discussed. A final decision on this will also be taken in July.

The Hellenic Hockey Federation (HHF), which should host the hockey discipline during the next Olympics in Athens, has been given more time to achieve a minimum international standard of qualification.

The previous standard by which it was required to progress to the European Nations Cup at the Dublin qualifying tournament in July 2002, will be reviewed with the new criteria being set by the next EB meeting at Lausanne in July. This decision has contributed to the HHF receiving extended financial support from the Greek government and National Olympic Committee.

The HHF expects to complete, by month end, its first synthetic hockey pitch in Athens, which is to become part of the hockey facility at the 2004 Olympics.

The decision to keep the World Cup winners (men and women) away from the norm of automatic qualification brings the FIH in line with International Olympic Committee (IOC) procedures and also those of other international sports federations. The FIH informed the German and Australian teams before the finals of the 10th Men's World Cup on Sunday.

Christoph W|eterich, president of Deutscher Hockey Bund, welcomed the decision. ``Four years is a long time in modern hockey, with the team completely changing from one Olympic cycle to the next. It is quite correct that each new team should have to qualify as the other teams. Of course, we are confident of re-qualification and the new system will allow us more opportunity to experience competitive international preparation within the four year cycle.''

Following requests from national associations and continental hockey federations, the EB has approved regulations to allow increased representation of sponsors on the uniforms of teams and umpires at FIH events.

The meeting also discussed the feasibility of posting men umpires for the next Women's World Cup at Perth to improve the standard of supervision since the event, for the first time, is to be played in a 16-team format. There are not many qualified women umpires to do duty at this level of competition.

Five more CDOs

An FIH budget has been approved for five continental development officers (CDO) to be appointed by the FIH to further development of the game in emergent hockey nations. The infrastructure will be based on last years highly successful implementation of the FIH Year of the Youth, which involved extensive collaboration between the FIH and the five continental federations. The first CDO was appointed on Tuesday. Tayyab Ikram, FIH coaching manager (part-time), will also be the FIH Continental Development Officer for Asia.

Armstrong (Louis) MNYMA of Zimbabwe will become the first African representative on the FIH Athletes Panel. Louis is a current international, having represented Zimbabwe at two All Africa Games, in Egypt and Zimbabwe in 1991 and 1995, respectively. He is the vice-president of the Hockey Association Zimbabwe and is also currently responsible for coaching and development.

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