Exciting Events await India in 2009

The Adhoc Committee managing the hockey affairs, has released the calender for the 2009-2010 season.

It is first in decades that the IHF has come to a stage where the basic requirement of Calendar has been finalized, and then thought of sharing it with the media.

Senior India will participate in four tournaments, besides playing and hosting Test Series against strong European and Oceania teams.

Double leg 4-Nation Tournament, Punjab Gold Cub’ will be the first major outing in India (31st Jan- 9th Feb. 2009)

This will be followed by New Zealand (in New Zealand) Test Series. The Indian team will stay in New Zealand fairly long (from 19th Feb to 2nd March). The Tests will be staged in the known hockey centres of Auckland and Wellington.

The traditional annual fair, Azlan Shah Cup (Ipoh, Malaysia), in which 7 Countries will take part from 03-12th April, will folllow.

India will then defend the Asia Cup title In Dubai at the 8th Asia Cup in the next month (8th-15th May 2009)

The real test for the Indian team will then come in the 25-day Europe Tour in which Test matches against four countries — England, Belgium, Spain and Holland — will be taken up (24th July- 17th August).

The good news then is Charlesworth’s Australia will engage us in a Test Series dates and venue of which are yet to be finalized. The event though will take place in October in India.

November will mark visit of both Germany and Spain for Test Series each.

The well-prepared Indians can now take up the FIH Champions Challenge (in Argentina) between 06th and 13th December.

Besides, lot of stuff is awaiting at the Juniors front as well.