ISLAMABAD: The first-ever Asian Hockey’s Champions event is set to kick off in Salalah, Oman, featuring the top men’s and women’s hockey teams from across Asia.
The tournament will run from August 25 to September 2 and will not only determine the champions but also grant the final three spots (per gender) for the FIH Hockey’s World Cup Oman 2024.
Bangladesh, Hong Kong China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, and Oman will compete in both men’s and women’s events. In the women’s category, Chinese Taipei and Thailand will make it a 10-team event, while Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Kazakhstan will compete in the men’s competition, totaling 11 teams.
The women’s matches are scheduled to take place from August 25 to 28, followed by the men’s matches from August 29 to September 2. The tournament introduces a new format where teams will be divided into two pools: the Elite Pool and the Challenger Pool.
For the women’s category, India, Malaysia, Japan, and Thailand will be in the Elite pool, while Hong Kong China, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Iran, and Oman will compete in the Challenger pool. The men’s Elite pool includes India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan, Oman, and Bangladesh, while the Challenger pool comprises Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Iran.
Teams will compete in pool matches, followed by crossover matches between the bottom two teams from the Elite pool and the top two teams from the Challenger pool. The winners of these matches will advance to face the top two teams from the Elite pool in the semi-finals. The victorious teams from the semi-finals and the bronze medal match will secure their spots in the inaugural FIH Hockey’s World Cup Oman 2024.
The FIH Hockey’s World Cup 2024, will take place in Muscat, Oman, from January 24 to 31, and will feature 16 teams each in both the men’s and women’s tournaments. The teams securing the top spots at the Asia Hockey’s World Cup Qualifier will claim the remaining spots in the World Cup from both men’s and women’s categories.
