Pakistan to compete in Asian Hockey5s Champions
The best Hockey5s teams (men and women) from Asia would go head-to-head in Salalah, Oman, for the opportunity to be crowned the inaugural Asian Hockey5s Champions from August 25 to September 2.
The final three spots (per gender) for the FIH Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2024 would also be up for grabs.
The event would feature both men’s and women’s competition.
Bangladesh, Hong Kong China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia and Oman would compete in both men’s and women’s events, said a press release.
Additionally, Chinese Taipei and Thailand would compete in the women’s event to feature 10 teams, while Pakistan, Afghanistan and Kazakhstan will play in just the men’s competition, which will see 11 teams participate.
The women’s competition would begin on August 25 and run until 28.The men’s event would begin right after, running from August 29 to September 2.
The event will feature a new format that will see teams split into two pools, i.e., the Elite Pool and the Challenger Pool.
In the women’s competition, India, Malaysia, Japan and Thailand will be placed in the Elite pool. Hong Kong China, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Iran and Oman will go into the Challenger pool.
After the teams complete their pool matches, crossover matches will be played amongst the bottom two teams of the elite pool and the top two teams in the challenger pool.
The winners of the crossovers will then take on the top two teams from the elite pool in the semi-finals.
The losing semi-finalists would play in the bronze medal match, where the winner, along with the two finalists will qualify for the inaugural FIH Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2024. In the men’s competition, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan, Oman and Bangladesh will be placed in the Elite pool.
Hong Kong China, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Iran will compete in the Challenger pool.
After the teams complete their pool matches, the first crossover matches will be played amongst the bottom two teams of the elite pool and the top two teams in the challenger pool.
The winners of these two contests would play in the second phase of crossover matches, against the teams in third and fourth place of the elite pool. Finally the two top finishers of the elite pool would take on the winners of the second crossovers in the semi-finals.
The losing semi-finalists would play in the bronze medal match, where the winner, along with the two finalists will qualify for the inaugural FIH Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2024.
The inaugural edition of the FIH Hockey5s World Cup 2024 would be played in Muscat, Oman from January 24-31, 2024, with 16 teams competing in both men’s and women’s tournaments.
In the women’s competition Namibia, South Africa and Zambia (Africa), USA, Uruguay and Paraguay (Pan America), Netherlands, Poland and Ukraine (Europe), Australia, New Zealand and Fiji (Oceania) have qualified for the World Cup, alongside hosts Oman. The final three spots would go to the top finishing teams at the Asia Hockey5s World Cup Qualifier.
In the men’s competition Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland (Europe), Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria (Africa), USA, Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica (Pan America) and Australia, New Zealand and Fiji (Oceania) have qualified for the World Cup alongside hosts Oman. The final three spots would go to the top finishing teams at the Asia Hockey5s World Cup Qualifier.
Source(s) & Courtesy: APP
