Want superstar sport status for game: FIH

BHUBANESWAR:  International Hockey Federation (FIH) CEO Jason McCracken wants superstar sport status for hockey. And he means every word of it. He believes this is an exciting time for fans of the game as they are getting to witness some fantastic hockey. “Gone are the days when one or two teams dominated the sport. Here we saw Spain beat Netherlands and two powerful teams India and Australia playing out a draw. We also saw Rio Olympic final reversed with Belgium beating champion Argentina. Hockey is in a great shape these days,” the New Zealander said on Saturday.

If this is the standard for Hockey World League Final, I just cannot wait to see Odisha hosting the Men’s World Cup next year,” he told The Express.The Odisha Hockey World League opening ceremony on Friday was among the best he had seen, the FIH chief said. “I have been involved in four Olympic games and different hockey events all over the world but an event like this really sets the standard for what we want hockey to be like,” he added. 

He feels Tier-II cities hold the key for development of hockey as FIH wants to take hockey to cities where it is appreciated most.“Sometime in big cities, we don’t get such strong support. We came here because of success of Kalinga Lancers and enthusiasm in the State. Odisha is investing heavily - from building new stadium to branding and marketing it. It is a great partner for us,” the former Olympic and World Cup umpire said.

McCracken said, if other States can take the cue from Odisha and bid for tournaments, offer facilities, they would be considered as FIH has big plans for the next five years. Besides, World Cup Hockey, there will be Hockey Pro-league and Hockey Series for next four years. There are the new products coming in, he said.

He says next two years are going to be important as a number of international events are lined up including the Women’s World Cup in London, Men’s World Cup in India, Champions Trophy besides the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina. In 2019, there will be Hockey Pro-League. As replacement of the World League, Hockey Series will be organised.