FIH president in Oman, reviews Hockey5s World Cup preparations
With nearly eight months to go for the hosting of the inaugural edition of the FIH Hockey5s World Cup in Oman, preparations are in full swing with Oman Hockey Association (OHA) working in close coordination with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth.
The FIH Hockey 5s World Cup will be held in January 2024 with 16 men’s and 16 women’s teams to vie for the coveted titles.
Keeping a close watch on the progress of the showpiece event is Tayyab Ikram the president of FIH, the world hockey governing body. Ikram is currently visiting Oman to attend the HF Men’s Junior Asia Cup Salalah 2023 and on Monday visited the construction site of the new stadium for the Hockey 5s World Cup in Al Amerat.
He was accompanied by OHA chairman Dr Marwan Al Juma, OHA treasurer Zuhair al Ajmi and other officials.
It may be mentioned that Times of Oman had first reported in April this year that the Hockey 5s World Cup venue has been shifted to Al Amerat from Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex.
The visit of the FIH president is the first to Oman since he last visited in January this year.
Following his visit to Al Amerat to review the preparations, Ikram said: “I am thankful to the Oman authorities and the Hockey 5s World Cup Local Organising Committee, as well as the construction companies, for a fruitful discussion about the planning of the inaugural FIH Hockey5s World Cup in January 2024.”
The new stadium will be built next to the existing Oman Cricket Academy Grounds and close to Al Amerat Club.
Al Juma, who last month became the first Omani to be elected as vice-president of the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF), had earlier told Times of Oman: “The decision to build a new venue for the Hockey 5s World Cup came at the behest of the Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth (MCSY), His Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham al Said.”
The world-class stadium in Al Amerat will feature one fullfledged hockey pitch (11-a-side) and a five-a-side pitch for the World Cup with a capacity of 5,500 seats.
The state-of-the-art hockey arena will also get the second full-fledged floodlit astro-turf pitch after the conclusion of the Hockey 5s World Cup.