NEW DELHI: The qualification process for the guys and ladies’ hockey disciplines at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will involve 14 groups and seven occasions, a good way to be played in October-November this 12 months.
The erstwhile Hockey World League determined the qualifying nations, aside from the continental champions and the hosts, for Rio 2016. But with the introduction of FIH Series and FIH Pro League, the road to 2020 Games become relaid with a new format.
While the quota for continental winners and hosts remains in place as before, the qualifiers could be contested amongst 14 teams spread across seven competitions.
HOW 14 TEAMS MAKE UP THE QUALIFIERS
At its inception, the method involved the beneath 12 groups combating for six locations inside the qualifiers:
1. Hockey Pro League: Four highest-located teams
2. Hockey Series Finals: Six groups (two maximum-positioned teams from each of the three events)
3. FIH Rankings: Two highest-located groups inside the world scores on the quiet of the continental championships
(If any of the teams in athe bove three instances also qualify as continental champions or aost you. S ., the following maximum-ranked crew can take their place in the FIH Rankings at the give up of continental championships.) But with Japan qualifying as hosts and winning the men’s and ladies’ Asian Games 2018, it opened an extra quota region in the qualifiers — increasing the quantity from the sooner six to seven now for both ladies and men.
This means Japan’s area inside the qualifiers could be taken by using the following maximum-ranked non-qualified team in the FIH Rankings as at the give up of the continental championships, bringing the number of units to thirteen. Because of that, there may be seven qualifying occasions and another particular area will, therefore, be allocated to the subsequent non-certified highest-ranked crew within the FIH Rankings as at the top of the continental championships. This will take the entire number of teams in the qualification process to 14.
WHAT ARE 7 QUALIFICATION EVENTS
As defined through FIH, the 14 teams can be drawn in pairs of two to play every other over two fits. The regular winners of the two fits will qualify for the Olympics.
Hence there can be seven pair of groups involved in seven specific qualification events.
HOW THE TEAMS WILL BE DRAWN
The FIH qualification system says: “The three highest-ranked teams within the FIH World Rankings as on the give up of the 2019 Continental Championships might be drawn at random to play at home towards one of the twelfth, 13th and 14th-located teams as on the cease of the 2019 Continental Championships.” And it provides: “The 4th, fifth, sixth and 7th-ranked groups within the FIH World Rankings as on the quiet of the 2019 Continental Champions may be drawn to play at domestic against one of the eighth, 9th, 10th or 11th-ranked teams as on the top of the 2019 Continental Championships.
ITheseven qualifying activities will each original two international locations gambling two lower back-to-returned suits. In straightforward phrases, The state with the highest mixture score over the two lawsuits in every one of those qualifiers will qualify for the Olympics.
If the two fit, each group has the same aggregate rating; on the quiet of the two fits, the winner might be determined via a shoot-out held without delay after the second in shape.
That will supply the Olympics its 12 groups for each guy and ladies’ opposition: 7 qualifiers, four continental winners, one host (Japan).
BHUBANESWAR LIKELY TO HOST INDIA’S OLYMPIC QUALIFIER
The Olympic qualifiers are scheduled for October and November 2019, and the fits could be hosted by the higher-ranked of the two competing countries. With India presently ranked No. 5 on FIH Rankings, they’ll likely 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 men’s World Cup, in its Annual Competitions and Tournament Calendar (ACTC) pre-needful to get the authorities’ approval and sanctions for website hosting an event. If things go as planned, India might also host the qualifier for its women’s group concurrently with the guys’ occasion. The FIH, in the meantime, has already contacted countrywide associations, inclusive of HI, to host the Olympic qualifiers.
“For making plans purposes, we’ve currently contacted some of National Associations probable to host the Olympic qualifiers later this yr; Hockey India is certainly 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 were confirmed by using FIH but; this could be executed at a later degree,” the response from the apex hockey frame delivered.
The continental championships are predicted to give up using September 8; the road-up of 14 qualifiers might be confirmed. For India, the first forestall in the street to Tokyo may be the eight-team Hockey Series Final to be performed in Bhubaneswar from June 6 to 16. The hosts could want to complete within the top two there for a direct passage to the Olympic qualifiers in October-November. The other seven groups competing in the event could be Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Africa, the USA, and Uzbekistan.
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