KARACHI: While the actual date for next year's Champions Trophy hockey tournament is yet to be finalised, the Executive Board of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Friday decided to award wildcard entries to Pakistan and South Korea in the 2011 edition of the Champions Trophy hockey tournament.

Having launched the tournament in 1978, Pakistan have won it three times (1978, 1980 and 1994) since and were mainly included because of the recent Asian Games victory in Guangzhou, China, which also gives them direct entry into the 2012 London Olympics. On the other hand, South Korea, who have yet to bag a Champions Trophy title, were included due to their current no 6 world ranking.

Meanwhile, the other six teams are world champions and 11-time winners Australia (1883, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1999, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010), Olympic champions and nine-time winners Germany (1986, 1997, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997, 2001 and 2007), eight-time winners the Netherlands (1981, 1982, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2006), one-time winners Spain (2004), England and hosts India.

The six teams that usually qualify to play in the event are the hosts, the defending champions, the world champions and the top teams of a recent World Cup or Olympics. The team that ends up last in the Champions Trophy is dropped from taking part in the next edition and replaced with the winner of the qualifier, the Champions Challenge Cup.

Hailing FIH's decision of fielding eight teams instead of the customary six Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) President Qasim Zia and Secretary Asif Bajwa issued a joint statement saying that they greatly appreciated the move.

“We are truly grateful to the FIH for making a special concession for the country which inaugurated the Champions Trophy that has today become the world's third-most prestigious hockey event after the World Cup and the Olympics,” said Asif Bajwa while speaking to Dawn on Saturday.

Marred by poor performances in the bigger events, Pakistan failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy for the third time in a row in 2010 when they also lost to New Zealand in the final of last year's qualifier played in Salta Argentina.

Next year's Champions Trophy is the third big hockey event that will be staged in India after the 2010 World Cup and the Commonwealth Games. Bajwa says that this is because the FIH sees a majority of lovers of the sport in the subcontinent and the scope of the game here.

“It is unfortunate that the law and order situation in Pakistan keeps us from staging any of the big events here but it is another positive move by the FIH to award them to India as you find the most hockey fans in the subcontinent,” he pointed out. “Also India is a big market, too, if you look at it in terms of sponsorship for such sports,” he added.

It is also being said that the FIH for the first time wants the event to be staged in two separate cities simultaneously of which Chandigarh will be one. The eight teams will be divided into two groups that will play in each city and the top two teams of each group will then play on a round-robin league basis.

About the tournaments that the green shirts will feature in between now and the Champions Trophy, he said: “Well, there is the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup starting May 5 followed by three other offers for four-nation tournaments in Canada, Ireland and Holland, too. But we will have to look at the timings of these events before considering them in our playing calendar for next year.”

The women's Champions Trophy will also feature eight teams with China and New Zealand joining Argentina, Germany, England, Australia, South Korea and host nation Netherlands.