LAUSANNE, Switzerland: The FIH executive board (EB) Tuesday confirmed that India’s mens team will join the FIH Pro League from 2020 on, as was unanimously supported by the other participating national associations.
Pertinently, only the men’s team makes the roster for next year, effectively replacing Pakistan, which withdrew from the first edition in January, and had a €150,000 (approx. 25 million Pakistan rupees) fine imposed on them on Monday.
The irony here is that the Pakistan Hockey Federation withdrew from the series as it is bankrupt, so how and from where the PHF is expected to cough up the money remains a mystery. Needless to say, the fact that India’s Narinder Batra is the FIH president ensured that the PHF couldn’t play the sympathy card with the FIH.
FIH CEO Thierry Weil stated: “It’s great that India will join the FIH Pro League already next year. There is such a passion for hockey in the country that it will add a lot to our newest competition. Furthermore, FIH would like to thank all participating National Associations who, by agreeing on a common scheme for the 2020 and 2021 calendars, have once again shown the solidarity of the global hockey community and their utmost will to grow the sport together.”
Building on the successful start of the very first FIH Pro League, the FIH EB approved, upon recommendation from the national associations participating in the FIH Pro League, the following principles of the match schedule for the 2020 and 2021 seasons:
– the League competition is maintained within the first six months of every year
– all games remain “home games”
– the home and away principle is kept too but this principle will now be split over two consecutive seasons and work according to the following example:
in 2020, Team A will host Team B twice within a couple of days
in 2021, Team B will host Team A twice within a couple of days
This scheme reduces by half the travel of the teams compared to the current format, therefore decreasing costs for teams, benefitting athletes’ welfare and reducing the impact on the environment.
