VICTORIA TO HOST 2008 OLYMPIC QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT

OFFICIAL WEBSITE LAUNCHED 

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It's Official - Victoria awarded the 2008 Olympic Qualifying Tournament

TEAMS ANNOUNCED

CANADA
KOREA
IRELAND
ITALY
MALAYSIA
CUBA

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Victoria to play host to the last qualifying tournament for the Beijing Olympic Games

 The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has awarded Victoria, BC a Women’s Qualifying Tournament for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The tournament will be held at the University of Victoria April 26–May 4, 2008. The announcement was made this week by Field Hockey Canada; following successful talks between the International Hockey Federation (FIH), Field Hockey Canada, Field Hockey BC and the Canadian Organising Committee; the contract awarding one of the six world Olympic Hockey Qualifying Tournaments was signed by the FIH and Canadian representatives. The inset photo shows Mary Cicinelli (FHC President) and Cheryl Taunton (Organising Committee Chair) signing the contract awarding the 2008 Women's Olympic Hockey Qualifying Tournament to Canada.      

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has awarded Victoria, BC a Women’s Qualifying Tournament for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The tournament will be held at the University of Victoria April 26–May 4, 2008. The announcement was made this week by Field Hockey Canada.

The tournament will see the Canadian Women’s Field Hockey team vying with five other nations for a single berth in the Beijing Olympics hockey competition.  Each of the teams will play one match against its competitors over five days of round-robin competition.  The first and second place finishers from the round-robin will then meet Sunday, May 4, with the winner advancing to the Summer Olympics.

The five teams joining Canada in Victoria have just been announced by the FIH: Korea, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, and Cuba.

All partners in the event view the tournament as a means to strengthen their relationships and to create an infrastructure which will encourage the FIH to return to Canada and Victoria with further elite championships.

Although currently ranked 19th in the world hockey, the showing of the Canadian women’s team in recent competitions suggests that Canada will see an improvement in its placing after this summer’s competitions, which include the Pan American Games.  This, combined with a rare experience of playing on home turf, should give the Canadian women an excellent chance to qualify.

Two similar tournaments of six teams will be taking place in April 2008 to determine the final women's Olympic teams. Baku (Azerbaijan) will host Belarus, Chile, Kenya, Spain, and the Ukraine from April 12- April 20 while Kazan (Russia) will host Belgium, Chinese Taipei, India, Netherlands Antilles, and the USA from April 19- April 27.

For more information about the Women's or Men's World Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, visit the FIH website.

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