FIH takes stock of preparations for next year's Hockey World Cup

Lausanne (Switzerland), March 13 (IANS) Members of the Netherlands-Belgium 2026 Organising Committee along with officials of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) took stock of the preparations for next year's FIH World Cup to be jointly hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium. 

A delegation from the Dutch and Belgian Hockey Associations had a two-day meeting with FIH at hockey’s world governing body’s office in Lausanne, Switzerland, to discuss key topics related to the organisation of the next FIH Hockey World Cup in 2026, the FIH informed in a release on Thursday.

In his opening remarks, FIH President Tayyab Ikram stated: “On behalf of FIH and in my name, I would like to renew our thanks to our friends from Belgium and the Netherlands for co-hosting the next edition of our most prestigious event in 2026. We’re glad to benefit from the top-class expertise of these two major hockey nations.

"It was great to host the delegation led by the CEOs of the Belgian and Dutch Hockey Associations, namely Serge Pilet and Erik Gerritsen, respectively. This interaction provided us with an excellent opportunity to discuss strategic items and operational areas. And also to focus on areas that go beyond the sport itself, such as sustainability and inclusion, in order to leave a lasting legacy, thanks to this World Cup, to hockey and society,” he said.

Dutch Hockey Association CEO Erik Gerritsen said, "It was very good to have all the involved parties here at the same table to take the next steps towards a successful World Cup in 2026! The 2026 World Cup will be an event where we think and collaborate beyond boundaries.

"We have already been doing this intensively with the KBHB and the FIH, and these days are also a good example of that. The presence of Tayyab Ikram and the words he said to add an extra dimension to the event gave a lot of motivation to everyone present," he added.

Hockey Belgium CEO Serge Pilet said, “We were able to discuss most organisational topics, and a lot of important decisions were made. More than ever, we are convinced that our collaboration with the Dutch federation in the joint organisation of this double-gender World Cup will enable us to bring hockey to the world in a spectacular, innovative, and unforgettable way.”

The FIH Hockey World Cup Netherlands-Belgium 2026 (15-30 August 2026) will involve the best female and male hockey athletes on the planet.

--IANS

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