After successfully hosting the 2015 Pan American Games field hockey competition in Toronto in July, Canada has been awarded the right to host an International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) 2016-2017 Women’s World League Round 2 event in March of 2017.
Many of the world’s top field hockey nations will compete alongside host Canada in British Columbia as a part of the multi-stage Hockey World League competition, which will serve as part of the qualifying process for the 2018 Women’s Hockey World Cup in England.
British Columbia joins two seasoned hockey-hosting cities in Valencia, Spain and Kuala Lampur, Malaysia as the three sites chosen for Round 2 of the competition.
The FIH has also announced the host cities for Round 2 of the 2016-2017 men’s Hockey World League competition as Tacarigua (Trinidad & Tobago), Dublin (Ireland) and Dhaka (Bangladesh).
Canada has quickly become a preferred choice for hosting field hockey events.
After the Pan Am Games, at which both Canadian field hockey teams medaled together for the first time at the multi-sport event since 1999, Canada is set to host the 2016 Junior Pan American Cup in June, as well as the 2017 Indoor Pan American Cup.
In addition to home-field hockey advantage, it gives local athletes, families, and fans, the chance to watch the highest level of international field hockey in person.
Both the Canadian men and women competed in the 2014-2015 edition of Hockey World League, which – in addition to the Continental Championships – served as a 2016 Olympic Games qualifying event.
With their top-tier finishes at World League Round 2 (the women came second in Ireland, the men third in the United States), both of Canada’s National Teams moved on to World League Round 3 in Spain and Argentina respectively.
The Canadian Men’s National Team, by way of its fourth place finish at World League Round 3, was able to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as well as the Hockey World League Final later this year.
The 2014-2015 edition of the Hockey World League tournament concludes this winter with the Final in Rajpur, India (November 27-December 6), where Canada will join seven of the world’s top nations as they compete for the crown of World League champion and prepare for the 2016 Olympics.
More information surrounding the Canada’s 2016-2017 Women’s World League Round 2 event will be released as it is confirmed.
