Delhi to host hockey Champions Trophy from December 3

LAUSANNE: The prestigious Men’s Champions Trophy Hockey tournament will be held in New Delhi from December 3-11, the FIH announced on Friday.

Top eight countries of the world, including Olympic champions Germany and 2010 World Cup winners Australia, will take part in the tournament.

The other countries to participate in the tournament are the Netherlands, England, Spain, South Korea and Pakistan, besides hosts India.

According to the official dates announced by the FIH for nine major events this season and next year, the FIH Women’s Champions Trophy will be held in Argentina from January 28-February 5.

The FIH Champions Challenge I will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa from November 26-December 4.

New Delhi will also host the first of the 2012 London Olympics qualification tournaments for men and women from February 15-26.

Six men’s and six women’s teams will battle out for a lone spot each in the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Three 2012 Olympic qualification tournaments will have three host nations with a men’s and women’s tournament running at the same time.

The next Olympic qualification tournament will take place from March 14-25, 2012 in Beerschot, Belgium. It will be followed by the third Olympic qualification tournament in Kakamigahara, Japan from April 25-May 6.

The trio of joint tournaments is the final opportunity for teams to qualify for 2012 Olympic Games with the winner of each men’s and women’s event earning a place in London.

The teams assigned to the qualification tournaments will not be known until the completion of all of this year’s continental championships, which will be after the Pan American Games, scheduled to finish on October 29.

Winners of the five Continental Championships earn an automatic berth to the 2012 London Olympics.

Following the continental championships, teams that do not automatically earn a berth to the Olympics will be placed into one of the three qualification tournaments, depending on where they finish in their continental championships and how many places their continental federation has been allocated for the Olympic qualification tournaments.

“The 2012 season will be one of the busiest and most important in recent history. Our regular schedule will be supplemented with the Olympic qualifiers and of course the Olympic Games themselves, making it non-stop hockey during the year,” said FIH President Leandro Negre.