Hockey’s 2020 Olympics qualifiers to contain 14 groups, 7 qualifying activities
NEW DELHI:
The qualification method for the guys and girls’ hockey disciplines at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will involve 14 groups and seven activities, to be performed in October-November this year. The erstwhile Hockey World League decided the qualifying international locations, aside from the continental champions and the hosts, for Rio 2016. But with the creation of the FIH Series and FIH Pro League, the road to 2020 Games changed into relaid with a brand new format. While the quota for continental winners and hosts remains in an area, the qualifiers can be contested among 14 groups spread throughout seven competitions.
HOW 14 TEAMS MAKE UP THE QUALIFIERS
At its inception, the process concerned the under 12 teams fighting for six places within the qualifiers:
1. Hockey Pro League: Four highest-positioned teams
2. Hockey Series Finals: Six teams (two highest-located groups from each of the three occasions)
Three. FIH Rankings: Two maximum-placed groups within the global rankings at the give up of the continental championships (If any of the teams in the above three instances additionally qualify as continental champions or as host u. S. A ., their area might be taken with the aid of the subsequent maximum-ranked crew within the FIH Rankings on the give up of continental championships.) But with Japan qualifying as hosts and triumphing the guys and girls’ Asian Games 2018, it opened an additional quota area inside the qualifiers — growing the range from the earlier six to seven now for each man and woman. In this manner, Japan’s location inside the qualifiers can be taken with the aid of the next highest-ranked non-qualified team inside the FIH Rankings as at the end of the continental championships, taking various teams to 13. Because of that, there will be seven qualifying events, and any other extra place will, therefore, be allotted to the next non-certified maximum-ranked group in the FIH Rankings as at the quit of the continental championships. This will take the total wide variety of teams in qualification manner to 14.
WHAT ARE 7 QUALIFICATION EVENTS
As defined by using FIH, the 14 groups may be drawn in pairs to play each other over two fits. The usual winners of the two matches will qualify for the Olympics. Hence there could be seven pairs of teams concerned in seven one-of-a-kind qualification activities.
HOW THE TEAMS WILL BE DRAWN
The FIH qualification procedure says: “The three highest-ranked teams in the FIH World Rankings as on the give up of the 2019 Continental Championships could be drawn at random to play at domestic towards one of the 12th, 13th, and 14th-positioned groups as at the top of the 2019 Continental Championships.” And it adds: “The 4th, fifth, 6th and seventh-ranked groups in the FIH World Rankings as at the quit of the 2019 Continental Champions could be attracted to play at domestic against one of the 8th, ninth, tenth or 11th-ranked teams as at the give up of the 2019 Continental Championships.” In easy phrases, the seven qualifying activities will every function countries playing back-to-returned matches. The state with the very best aggregate rating over the 2 fits in every one of these qualifiers will qualify for the Olympics. If both the groups have the same combination score at the stop of the two suits, the winner might be decided by using a shoot-out held right now after the second healthy. That will give the Olympics its 12 teams for each guy and ladies opposition: 7 qualifiers, four continental winners, 1 host (Japan).
BHUBANESWAR LIKELY TO HOST INDIA’S OLYMPIC QUALIFIER
The Olympic qualifiers are scheduled for October and November 2019, and the suits may be hosted with the aid of the higher-ranked of the two competing countries. With India currently ranked No. Five on FIH Rankings, it’s in all likelihood that they will get to host their Olympic qualifier; and Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium is the front-runner to host that event. Hockey India (HI) has already proposed the Odisha capital, which also hosted the 2018 guys’ World Cup, in its Annual Competitions and Tournament Calendar (ACTC), which is necessary to get the government’s approval and sanctions for web hosting a match. If matters move as planned, India may also host the qualifier for its girls’ crew simultaneously with the men’s occasion. The FIH, in the meantime, has already contacted countrywide institutions, including HI, to host the Olympic qualifiers.
“For making plans functions, we have currently contacted some National Associations probably to host the Olympic qualifiers later this year; Hockey India is considered one of them,” the FIH said in reply to an email from TimesofIndia.Com. “However, neither dates nor venues for any of the Olympic qualifiers have been showing by way of FIH yet; this may be carried out at a later degree,” the response from the apex hockey body brought.
The continental championships are anticipated to cease through September eight, after which the line-up of 14 qualifiers can be shown. For India, however, the primary forestall in the road to Tokyo may be the eight-group Hockey Series Final to be played in Bhubaneswar from June 6 to 16. The hosts could need to finish within the pinnacle two for an instantaneous passage to the Olympic qualifiers in October-November. The other seven teams competing within the event can be Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Africa, the USA, and Uzbekistan.
