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The stage is set for the 14th men’s and 11th EuroHockey championships to get underway at the Braxgata Hockey Club in the Belgium city of Boom from Saturday.
The nine-day event assumes significance given the fact that the winner wins a berth to the 2014 World Cup. Of course, leading lights like Olympic champions Germany, the Netherlands, hosts Belgium and England have already booked their World Cup berths after qualifying through the Hockey World League Round 3 events.
The high-profile continental event, organized by the European Hockey Federation (EHF), is staged every two years since 2003. Prior to 2003, the tournament was held every four years.
As many as eight men and eight women teams will slug it out for top honours. Reigning champions Germany will be the strong contenders in the men’s section alongside 2011 runners-up and 3rd ranked Netherlands.
The world number one ranked Germans are placed in Pool A alongside 7th ranked Spain, 21st ranked Czeck Republic besides hosts and 7th ranked Belgium.
The Netherlands are clubbed in Pool B alongside 4th ranked, England, 15th ranked Ireland and 19th ranked Poland.
World number one and defending champions Netherlands will be the red-hot favourites in the women’s section.
They are clubbed in Pool A along with 13th ranked and hosts Belgium, 14th ranked Ireland and 21st ranked Belarus. 2011 runners-up and 5th ranked Germany are placed in Pool B alongside 4th ranked England, 15th ranked Spain and 17th ranked Scotland.
It may be worth recalling that the inaugural men’s EuroHockey championship was held in Brussels in 1970, where Germany cornered glory.
The inaugural women’s EuroHockey championship was held in Lille in 1984, where the Netherlands annexed the crown.
Both Germany and Netherlands have dominated the EuroHockey championships in the men’s and women’s sections respectively.
German men have won it seven times, with the Netherlands winning it on three occasions. Spain have won the crown twice, while England have won it only once.
Netherlands women have won the EuroHockey championship a whopping eight times. Germany and England have won it once.
