The Asian junior men’s hockey championships at Hyderabad from July 11 to 18 will be the first international event under the new dispensation governing the game in the country, according to Suresh Kalmadi, President, Indian Olympic Association.

From the 32 players currently undergoing training at Gachibowli will emerge the core of India’s challenge for the World Cup in 2010 proposed for New Delhi, prior to the Commonwealth Games.

FIH President Els Van Dreda Vriesman and Peter Cohen, Secretary General, FIH, will be in attendance during the week-long Hyderabad tournament, Kalmadi said.

While thanking Union Sports Minister M.S. Gill for restoring priority status to hockey, he hoped the services of Ric Charlesworth and Bob Davidson would put the sport back on the right track.

The groupings:

A: Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, India. B: Korea, Pakistan, Oman and Bangladesh.