ISLAMABAD: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has named South Africa as the host country for the inaugural FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup to take place at the North-West University of Potchefstroom from Nov 28 to Dec 4.

The aim of this new yearly event was to offer a top-level competition to the best-ranked teams not participating in the FIH Hockey Pro League and give the winning team the option to be promoted to the Hockey Pro League the next season, precisely, said a news release issued by the FIH.

Therefore, the FIH Hockey Nations Cup marks the start of the promotion-relegation principle for the FIH Hockey Pro League, with the winning team of the first FIH Hockey Nations Cup having the chance to be promoted to the 2023-24 FIH Hockey Pro League, provided they meet the necessary requirements for it.

The eight teams which include some of the powerhouses of world hockey would participate in the very first edition, having qualified based on their position in the FIH World Rankings of May 2021. They include South Africa, France, Canada, Japan, Korea, Ireland, Pakistan and Malaysia.

The inaugural FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup would be held in Valencia, Spain, from Dec 11 to 17 this year.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2022