World hockey bosses are open to the idea of international tournaments being played on grass pitches. It will be with lower-tier events first. The FIH Congress on Saturday also confirmed that the water-based surfaces will be replaced by the Paris Olympics 2024 Games at the latest.
At present, it is obligatory for the International Federation of Hockey (FIH) will be played on artificial turf. However, a change could be made for the Paris Olympics 2024 qualifiers, starting with the 2021 Open Hockey series. It will feature lower-ranked teams who otherwise cannot afford installation costs could. lite tournaments will continue to be held on artificial fields.
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The FIH also believes that the sport should be viewed as sustainable, and the world governing body is exploring ways to conserve water. FIH Managing Director Thierry Weil said in a day of wide-ranging news in New Delhi that any potential change to the pitch “would allow many more countries to be part of the road to Paris”, although high-level games would continue to be played on artificial pitches. These ideas were likely explored in the halls of the FIH Congress since the change from turf to turf was not on the official agenda, it has been reported.
Weil, who joined FIH this year, told The Indian Express, “The idea we are considering is that the 2021 Hockey Series Open can be played on any surface, including grass .”Right now, many countries cannot play due to a lack of pitches, but we can be much more inclusive if we let it. “Any country in the world that is willing to play on participate on a pitch of their choice Latin America, Africa, or Asia… if four or five countries decide to play on a pitch of their choice, the FIH will have no problem with that. This is the vision.“
At the main congress, Weil also announced that the Paris Olympics 2024 Games will not be held on water courts. He said: “We have to move away from the water system, as we can see that we constantly Wasting water while people next door might not have enough water to drink. “It’s an important decision and it’s up to us to work with suppliers to bring a new product to market. “We’re not talking about getting rid of it, we’re talking about replacing it and allowing players to get the same quality of gameplay that we’re seeing today, and hopefully it’ll be a lot cheaper.”
