Ambiguity looming over 2010 World Cup hockey host

Nov 08: India primarily gets the World Cup, but to meet some conditions before March 01, 2008 to get green signal for the tournament

The ambiguity is still clouding over the host of Men’s 2010 World Cup Hockey after the International Hockey Federation (FIH) principally announced Delhi as the venue, here on Wednesday, with a condition that the final confirmation about the host would be confirmed only in March next year.

The IHF has to meet certain conditions to get the green signal for the mega event; however, FIH is still hesitant to reveal the conditions that will have to be met by the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) before March 01, 2008.

Addressing to the media in the capital for the official announcement, FIH President Els van Breda Vriesman said, “If IHF leans back, then we will have something to discuss.”

Vriesman also refused to provide details of the conditions, which are to be met by India, saying that they are strictly confidential and it is between IHF and FIH.

Yet the IHF Secretary, K. Jothikumaran, was quite assured, “We won’t have any problem at all,” but the reality stays as the Indian Hockey Confederation (IHC), which is the body that organises the sport in the country hasn’t found a sponsor for the mega event so far. “We will soon get a sponsor,” said Jothikumaran.

If India gets the chance of hosting the prestigious event, it will be after almost three decades that. The only and the last time India hosted the championship was way back in 1982 in Mumbai.

The 2010 hockey World Cup will be a joint venture between FIH and the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and is a result of the "Project Promoting Indian Hockey" aimed at bringing back the glorious past of Indian hockey.

"We will work on several points before March 01 next year and I assure you that we are very committed to host the event in India. Both the FIH and the Indian Hockey Federation is committed to host it successfully," Els Van Breda Vriesman, told a press conference here.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games was mentioned as one of the reason why New Delhi was chosen for the World Cup. Dhyan Chand National Stadium will be the venue for the February 2010 mega-event.

"The stadium which will be the venue for the World Cup will also be the place where Commonwealth Games are scheduled to take place. The stadium will be ready by 2009. So Delhi was given preference," Vriesman said.

Vriesman stressed the need to promote hockey in India. "Promoting hockey in India is crucial. Hockey is the national sport of India but the performance is not upto the mark. It is sad for a country having 1 billion population," she said.

"Hockey needs the support of the corporate world, passionate people, young people in India," she added.

The only thing that was confirmed yesterday was that the Dutch International Andre Bolhuis would be the chairman of the World Cup Governing Board. On the occasion a special Organising Committee for the World Cup was also announced with IHF secretary K Jothikumaran as its interim chairman.