Hockey5s World Cup to be held in 2023: FIH

KARACHI: The International Hockey Federation — formally the Federation Internationale de Hockey (FIH) — has announced its decision to hold a world cup of the shortest format, Hockey 5s.

In a November 8-9 meeting in Swiss city of Lausanne, the global hockey body's executive board held its last meeting of the year chaired by FIH President Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra, wherein it agreed to create the Hockey5s World Cup.

The game's shortest format was introduced during the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics with an aim to promote the game.

Each team comprises five players, including a goal keeper, on the field. The field of play is 55 metres long and 41.7 metres wide — approximately half the size of a regular pitch.

The matches in Hockey 5s consist of three 15-minute periods, with an interval of two minutes between each period.

The FIH's executive board mentioned that it decided to create the FIH Hockey5s World Cup in order to further boost the development of hockey globally through the promotion of its five-a-side format.

“The inaugural edition [of the Hockey5s World Cup] is planned for 2023. Continental Hockey5s tournaments will be organized and act as qualifiers," it said in a statement.

"16 teams per gender will take part in the first FIH Hockey5s World Cup,” the statement added.