No plans to increase number of teams in Senior WC from 16 to 24: FIH

Chennai, Dec 6 (PTI) The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is not yet ready to increase the number of teams in the senior men’s World Cup to 24, as it has done for the ongoing junior event, citing a huge gap in performance levels.

For the first time, 24 teams are participating in the Junior World Cup in both the men’s and women’s categories, a decision that FIH president Tayyab Ikram said was part of the sport’s development process.

He, however, said he does not foresee an expansion of the senior World Cup from the existing 16 teams to 24 in the near future.

"For the senior World Cup we need to look at different aspects. If you ask me today, we are not ready," Ikram said when queried by the PTI at a press conference here.

"The top nations who are already playing in the FIH Pro League and teams in the World Cup who are not playing in the Pro League, there is a huge gap of performance between them. And if you add more teams into it then we also need to have a reasonable competitive level.

"About the hosting and bidding capability, I think we are ready but we have to see other aspects also, we have to market our sport, we have to sell the great performances of our athletes. This (the Junior World Cup) is not only a competition, this is also a development process for our future young stars.

"It is a landmark event because for the first time 24 nations are participating in FIH Junior World Cup. In Santiago (Women's Junior World Cup) too 24 nations are participating, overall 48 nations. For me it's a historical moment because it's a part of FIH engagement and empowerment initiative." India has been a big market for FIH for more than a decade, and the sport's international body's chief said the country will continue to remain a close associate in future.

"India is hosting more hockey events. I think it is because of the good initiatives of Hockey India. But events doesn't come automatically, there are some process to follow but India deserves such events.

"In multi-events, India were already allotted the Commonwealth Games, and there will be more interest in hockey and other sports," he said without committing any future international hockey events.

At the FIH Junior World Cup in Chennai and Madurai, 80 per cent of matches witnessed one male and one female umpire officiating the matches and FIH said it is part of its gender equality programme.

"It's a part of empowerment and engagement and we are also leading a very important programme about women empowerment in sports.

"Paris Olympics was also gender equality from the Olympic point of view but FIH was the first international federation we were the first federation to introduce 50-50 per centage in terms of gender equality in all terms, not only athletes but officials, administrators and volunteers as well," Ikram said.

The FIH chief said the ongoing World Cup has got a positive feedback for the game from all stakeholders.

"Very positive feedback from this tournament that we can breach the performance gap, we can bring the emerging nations to the World Cup level. It was not something which was a dream before. Capacity building is another takeaway for us," Ikram said. PTI SSC ATK