FIH World Hockey5s tournament to commence on June 4 next year

The Indian men's and women's teams will take part in the first-ever FIH World Hockey5s tournament to be held in Lausanne, Switzerland, on June 4 and June 5, 2022. The event was originally supposed to be held in September of this year, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ten teams from four continents, including some powerhouses of international hockey, will compete in the World Hockey5s tournament.

Read: Junior Hockey World Cup: Is this Team India good enough to defend their title?

In the men's group, India, Switzerland, Malaysia, Pakistan and Poland will be in the fray. India, Switzerland, Poland, South Africa and Uruguay will be in action in the women's category.

The FIH Hockey5s will be staged on the Place de la Navigation, an iconic location near the Lac Léman bordering the Olympic Capital.

How is Hockey5s played?

Hockey5s, as the name suggests, is played with 5 players in each team. It is particularly known for its non-stop end-to-end action, since the ball is in play for more than 90% of a match, thanks to rebound-boards placed against the outside of the side-lines and back-lines.

There are usually more goals with Hockey5s than with the more traditional 11-a-side format of hockey, since players can score from anywhere beyond the attacking line.

Hockey5s is played on a smaller pitch, which enables bringing hockey to people in new and unexpected venues, sometimes even at the heart of the cities.

The duration of a Hockey5s match is shorter, with two halves of just 10 minutes each.

Commenting on FIH Hockey5s, Lausanne, FIH CEO Thierry Weil, in a statement, said the format is a great way to popularize the sport. He said:

“It was truly heart-breaking to have to postpone the inaugural event. Hockey5s is a great format to promote our sport and especially introduce it to sports fans not yet familiar with hockey. I invite everyone to come to this world event and enjoy the speed, skills and fun of our game."

To make the tournament more accepted among the masses, a Hockey5s World Tour can be expected in the near future.