The 2010 Hockey World Cup will be the twelfth instalment of the Men's Hockey World Cup. On November 14, 2007, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced that the championship would be held in India, taking place over two weeks from Feb 28 to March 13, 2010 at New Delhi's Dhyan Chand National Stadium.[1]
India's hosting of the event was put in doubt, however, when the FIH reviewed the progress of the Indian Hockey Federation's "Promoting Indian Hockey" program and India's preparation for the championship, and warned that "satisfactory progress had not been made in either area".[2] India was warned it could lose the right to host the World Cup unless satisfactory progress was made.[3] It was confirmed on July 18, 2008 that International Hockey Federation formally awarded the hosting rights to India.[4]
Qualification tournaments
Three World Cup qualifying tournaments were held in 2009. Pakistan won the first tournament which was held in Lille, France from October 31 to November 8, 2009. The hosts, New Zealand, won the second tournament held in Invercargill, from November 7 to November 15, 2009 [5]. The third tournament which was played in Quilmes, Argentina from November 14 to November 22, 2009 [6]
was won by the hosts, Argentina..
Teams
In the qualification criteria, each of the continental champion from five confederations and host receive an automatic berth. The confederations of Europe and Oceania will receive another three and one extra quotas respectively shall India qualified as host and Asia Cup champion. Alongside with three winners in each of the three qualification, twelve teams will be competing in this 2010 tournament.[7]
On December 29, 2009, International Hockey Federation (FIH) released the match schedule for the Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010, to be played in New Delhi, India from February 28 to March 13, 2010. Timings are according to Indian Standard Time (IST).