FIH men’s hockey Olympic qualifier shifted to Oman

LAUSANNE [Switzerland]: The men’s FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers for Paris 2024 Summer Olympics will now be held in Oman instead of Pakistan from January 15 to January 21, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has said.

The FIH revoked Pakistan’s hosting rights last month, citing recent occurrences involving the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF). In August, the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) suspended numerous PHF executives and ordered new elections.

One of the two men’s qualification tournaments will be conducted in Valencia, Spain, while the other will be staged in Muscat, Oman, rather than Lahore, Pakistan, as per Olympics.com. Each Paris 2024 hockey qualifying tournament will include eight teams, with the top three teams from each qualifying event making the cut for the Paris 2024 Games.

The seedings and teams for the Olympic qualifiers will be set following the completion of all continental cham-pionships in 2023.

The winners of men’s hockey tournaments at five continental championships earn direct qualification to Paris 2024. The Netherlands won the EuroHockey Championship 2023, while Australia won the Oceania Cup, ensuring their berth in next year’s Olympics. The victor of the Asian Games hockey tournament in 2023 will receive a straight berth.

France will be in the contest as the host country. The remaining six spots will be determined by qualifying tour-naments.

Valencia will also host one of the two women’s qualification events, with Changzhou, China, hosting the other. Women’s hockey qualifying for Paris 2024 follow the same procedure as men’s. Paris 2024 hockey competition will be held at the Yves-du-Manoir arena from July 27 to August 9, 2024. (ANI)

Also Read: Poland, Spain to host 2023-24 FIH Hockey Nations Cup

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