The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced on Monday that the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier Tournament will be held in Pakistan, China, and Spain from January 13-21, 2024. After a gap of 20 years since Pakistan last hosted it in 2004, the event has returned to Pakistan.
A press release announced that the women’s qualifying tournaments would be played in Changzhou, China (two tournaments) and Valencia, Spain (two tournaments), while the men’s qualifying matches would be played in Lahore, Pakistan (two tournaments) and Valencia, Spain (two tournaments).
Many teams will play in Pakistan
Eight teams (16 total) of each gender would compete in each tournament. In the Women’s FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier, Africa has zero spots, Asia has four, Europe has eight, Oceania has one, and Pan America has three.
Africa 1, Asia 5, Europe 7, Oceania 1, Pan America 2, and the Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men’s FIH Hockey. Each quota’s teams, and thus those invited to compete, would be determined by their finishes at the 2023 Continental Championships.
Winners of these FIH Hockey Olympic Qualification Tournaments would advance to the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. All of the continental champions (from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania) would go to France to compete in the tournament.
Each hockey team in the Paris 2024 Olympics would consist of 16 competitors, as has been the case at every Olympics since Beijing in 2008.
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