MEN'S HOCKEY:Andrew Meredith, the new men's Irish coach, will have just one more training camp before the Irish squad travels to India for the World League event (round two) from February 18th-24th. The squad session will take place in the North over January 24th-27th, having had a session over the holiday period in Dublin.
But Ireland also hope to arrange friendly matches when they travel to New Delhi for the first holding of this new world competition which will provide valuable ranking points for the competing teams.
The Hockey World League is split up into four rounds that last over a two-year cycle. For one cycle, the League will serve as the qualifier for the World Cup and in the next cycle it is the qualifier for the Olympic Games. When the world governing body (FIH) asked for entries into the competition, teams ranked one to eight in the world rankings were given a bye to round three of the event with teams ranked nine to 16 were given a bye to round two.
As Ireland is in this category they begin their quest for a place in Rio 2016 in round two next month.
Provide places
It is not the only qualification process for the Olympics as World Cups and European Championships also provide places. Given the IOC’s requirement for teams from all over the globe to compete there will also be last-ditch qualification tournaments during 2016 similar to the one hosted by Ireland last summer in UCD.
What could be an issue in four year’s time is Brazil’s world ranking, which currently stands at 33.
They are automatically qualified for the Olympics. Ireland’s current raking is 15, although the team certainly have the potential to make the top 10.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
National Indoor Trophy finals – Group A: YMCA, Railway Union, Glenanne. Group B: Three Rock Rovers, Clontarf, NICS.
Timetable (today at Gormanston College): 9.30 – YMCA v Railway Union; 10.20 – Three Rock Rovers v Clontarf; 11.10 – YMCA v Glenanne;12.00 – Three Rock Rovers v NICS; 12.50 – Glenanne v Railway Union; 1.40 – NICS v Clontarf.
