Lausanne (Switzerland), June 10 (IANS) In line with one of the key pillars of its Empowerment and Engagement Strategy, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has decided to expand the FIH Hockey Nations Cup and the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2, increasing the participating teams from the current eight to ten from the next edition onwards.

In total, this move means that eight additional teams will participate across these events each year. The Nations Cup and Nations Cup 2 are the second and third rungs of the FIH Pro League. The winner of the Nations Cup is set to qualify for the FIH Pro League in the next season.

Furthermore, the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2, introduced last year, will become an annual event from 2027 onwards. This will provide more consistent exposure for teams of this level and simplify the qualification structure by aligning Nations Cup 2 with the Nations Cup and the FIH Hockey Pro League, the FIH informed in a release on Wednesday.

FIH President Tayyab Ikram expressed his great satisfaction following today’s announcement: “These decisions, taken upon my initiative, are in continuation with our Empowerment and Engagement strategy. They are crucial in fostering equal opportunities for athletes and nations to participate, develop, and grow.

“I am particularly pleased for all the second- and third-tier teams that previously lacked sufficient opportunities to test themselves in high-level tournaments before the introduction of both events,” he added.

The Nations Cup will be held in the next couple of days for the fourth time and has already established itself as a major event on hockey’s global calendar for both athletes and fans.

The inaugural editions of the Nations Cup 2 last year were a tremendous success, and there has been a strong demand from the participating teams to hold this event annually ever since.”

The qualification system has been revised accordingly.

The expansion of teams also means that no team will be relegated from this year’s FIH Hockey Nations Cup, starting tomorrow in Cape Town, South Africa (Men’s) and on 15 June in Auckland, New Zealand (Women’s).

–IANS

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