Hockey World Cup draw to be held on schedule on September 8, confirms FIH

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has confirmed that the Men's Hockey World Cup draw will go on as per schedule on September 8, 2022.

The confirmation comes in the wake of FIH approving Hockey India's draft constitution, sent by the Committee of Administrators (CoA) running Hockey India (HI), as it complies with the norms of the world hockey body.

The Hockey World Cup will take place at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar and Rourkela between January 13 and January 29, 2023.

Sources in the know have confirmed the FIH's acceptance of the latest correspondence from HI's CoA in line with the talks held between the two parties a couple of weeks back in India.

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Hockey World Cup to go as per schedule after fruitful talks

The initial round of talks between HI's CoA and FIH delegation, comprising acting president Seif Ahmed, FIH executive board member and Asian Hockey Federation CEO Tayyab Ikram, and FIH CEO Thierry Weil, took place on August 17 and 18.

The meeting came in the wake of the world hockey body wanting Hockey India to put in place a duly recognized and democratically-elected board ahead of the upcoming Men’s Hockey World Cup.

The recent uncertainty over HI elections came to light following reports that Weil wrote a stern email to the CoA, accusing the three-member committee of deviating from the Delhi High Court's three-point brief while drafting the new constitution.

Weil noted that the CoA made unnecessary changes to the constitution and broke FIH's trust after the two parties reached a common agreement during their meeting on August 17 and 18. Subsequently, the FIH said the Hockey World Cup draw ceremony would be canceled if the CoA failed to comply with the High Court order.

The Delhi High Court suspended the HI executive board in May, terming the illegal post of Life President held by former Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra and the voting rights of HI CEO Elena Norman as "unconstitutional" and in violation of the National Sports Code.