Thaindian News

Ipoh, May 6 (IANS) International Hockey Federation (FIH) president Leandro Negre said Friday the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) has agreed to host the revived five continents hockey tournament while the inaugural World Inter-Club Championship will be held in India in January 2013.

Negre said that the plan was to hold both the tournaments a year after the major events, like the Olympics and the World Cup.

“This will ensure that the best players are picked to represent their respective continents,” said Negre while addressing the participants of the Asian Hockey Federation’s (AHF) umpires seminar.

“However we have to look at two factors before going ahead with the planned revival as there is a question of congestion as so far as the hockey calendar is concerned as well as the financial burdens of the continental federations. If we can resolve these two issues, then we hope to have this tournament (five continent tournament) a year after the Olympics in London.”

Negre, who had proposed the World Inter-Club Championship during last year’s World Cup in New Delhi, said that eight clubs will take part, in both men and women’s category, in the knock-out competition that would be played over one weekend.

The FIH President said the tournament would be held a year after the major events, like the Olympics (2012) and World Cup (2014).

“Five teams will be from the continents while three other clubs will be wild cards. And we believe that it will be good towards giving clubs a platform to develop players and at the same time unearth new talents for member countries,” said

Negre also said that he was for the change of colours for the pitch for the London Olympics in 2012 to blue with a pink border.

“Its a question of adapting to change and I am all for it. In fact there is a proposal to have the semi-circle in a different colour and I am supportive of such a move and do not see why FIH would want to object on this,” said Negre.