NEW DELHI: Hockey India's president, Dilip Tirkey, hailed the upcoming Women's Hockey Olympic Qualifiers in Ranchi as a "testament to India's commitment" to the sport and its pursuit of excellence on the international stage.
The national federation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday for hosting the tournament, where eight countries, including hosts India, will compete for the top three spots to secure berths for the Paris Olympics in July-August.
"The FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers in Ranchi stand as a testament to India's commitment to the sport and our relentless pursuit of excellence," remarked Dilip Tirkey, expressing gratitude for the support extended by the Jharkhand Government.
The tournament will take place at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astro Turf Hockey Stadium from January 13 to 19.
Originally scheduled to be held in China, the event was moved to India after Hockey India requested the shift, considering that the Chinese women's team had directly qualified for the Paris Games.
The Men's team had already secured their Olympic berth by winning the Asian Games gold, while the Women's team narrowly missed out after a defeat to China in the semi-final. The Indian women's team did, however, clinch the bronze medal at the Asian Games.
India will kick off their campaign in Pool B against the USA on January 13, with New Zealand and Italy also in their group. Pool A consists of Germany, Japan, Chile, and the Czech Republic.
The top two teams from each pool will advance to the semi-finals, and the gold, silver, and bronze medal winners will earn a spot in the Olympics.
The event in Ranchi is one of the three Olympic Qualifiers happening globally, with the other two in Muscat, Oman (men's) and Valencia, Spain (women's and men's).
(With inputs from PTI)
