The Tribune”

New Delhi, July 27:
International Hockey Federation (FIH) president Leandro Negre Carrio confirmed here today that the 12th edition of the World Cup Hockey Championship will be held at the National Stadium in Delhi as scheduled from March 7 to 20, 2010.

The 12-team field will feature 42 matches, spread over 15 days. The teams will be divided into two groups of six each, and two teams from each group will progress into the semifinals.

Negre signed the lead title sponsorship deal with Hero Honda managing director Pawan Munjal at an impressive function, attended by half of India’s 1975 World Cup winning team, led by Ajitpal Singh.

The FIH also signed an agreement with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for the successful conduct of the World Cup. India would be hosting the World Cup Hockey Championship after a gap of 27 years.

India first hosted the prestigious event in 1981 in Mumbai. India, who won the bronze in 1971 and silver in 1973, have not finished among the medals since their gold-winning feat in 1975 at KulaLumpur (Malaysia), under the captainship of Ajitpal Singh.

Only five countries, including India, have won the World Cup in 11 editions – Pakistan four times, Holland thrice, Germany, who were the winners of the last edition in 2006, twice and Australia.

FIH chief Negre announced that plans were afoot to make India a destination for a major hockey event every year as the country had the hockey culture and would have the necessary infrastructure after the World Cup to hold major international hockey events.

He, however, reiterated his stated stand that the hockey body should be put in proper order, and elections to Hockey India should be held within six months, to make it a united, coherent body for the smooth conduct of the World Cup.

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi, who is also the chairman of the 2010 Commonwealth Games organising committee, said the “FIH World Cup will serve as an ideal preparatory platform for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.”

India is fully geared up to host the World Cup without sparing any expenses, with just over 200 days to go for the mega event. Four countries have already qualified for the championship.

They are: Canada (champions of the third Pan American Cup), South Africa (Africa Cup of Nations champions), South Korea (8th men’s Asia Cup champions) and hosts India.

Eight more teams will qualify for the championship round. The automatic qualifiers would be the champions of the 12th Men’s EuroHockey Nations Cup and the champions of the 6th Men’s Oceania Cup, which will feature New Zealand and Australia.

Ajitpal Singh said there was a world of difference between the hockey team of 1975 and the hockey team of now. “We went there to become the world champions. The present Indian team have not even qualified for the World Cup. We have qualified only because we are the hosts”, Ajitpal noted.

“It’s good the World Cup would be coming to India finally,” observed former Indian captain Pargat Singh. Pargat said the injury suffered by the goalkeeper Baljit Singh was a big blow to Indian hockey.

The World Cup launch witnessed a recap of India’s thrilling 2-1 victory against Pakistan at Kula Lumpur in 1975 and the display of the coveted World Cup, which was wheeled into the dais from backstage by Ajitpal Singh.

Year Host

1971 Spain

1973 Netherlands

1975 Malaysia

1978 Argentina

1982 India

1986 England

1990 Pakistan

1994 Australia

1998 Netherlands

2002 Malaysia

2006 Germany

2010 India