Qatar Hosts 2012 Asian Hockey Champ's Trophy.

Qatar’s sporting aspirations received another boost when they won the rights to host one of Asia’s biggest hockey tournaments - the 2012 Asian Champions Trophy.

Qatar had also simultaneously bid for the 2013 Asia Cup but lost out to Singapore. The Asian Champions Trophy will see six top teams from Asia - India, Pakistan, Malaysia, South Korea, China and Japan - vying for the title. The Asian Hockey Federation are yet to finalise the dates of the event but local authorities hinted it could be held in November-December this year.

“This is a huge boost for Qatar and for the sport of hockey here. Conducting a major event like this will certainly increase the popularity of the sport,” said an elated Qatar Hockey Federation (QHF) secretary general Mohamed Nazer Abdul, who received the confirmation from the Asian Hockey Federation yesterday after a meeting in Malaysia.

“With plenty of Asian expatriates in Qatar, you can expect a full house and if there is an India-Pakistan clash, the euphoria can cross all levels,” he added.
The matches will be held at the Al Rayyan Stadium where the 2006 Asian Games hockey tournament was held. The stadium, however, will require a facelift as it has a seating capacity of only 1,500, but can be increased several fold with the help of temporary stands. During the two Holland-Pakistan preparatory matches before the World Cup in New Delhi last year, the capacity was increased to 5,000.

The blueprint for a full-fledged hockey stadium was ready but the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) put it on hold after Qatar won the bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Authorities are now planning a full upgrade of the entire Rayyan Football Stadium to which the hockey stadium is attached.

However, against the backdrop of the success of the bid, the QOC may revive the project. It is learnt that QHF will be meeting with the QOC officials to discuss the further course of action.

With the astroturf and the facilities being of international standards, even makeshift stands will be enough to fulfill the tournament requirements in case QOC decides not to go for any changes as of now, feels Abdul.

“We have three turfs and they are in excellent condition. We can do what we did during the Asian Games; go for the makeshift stands with more capacity. There is enough room to increase the capacity of the stands,” revealed Abdul.

With a Test series against Oman and Brazil lined up followed by the inaugural World Hockey League level 1 tournament, Qatar has enough opportunity to test their organising capabilities.

The inaugural Asian Champions Trophy was held in China last year where India beat Pakistan in the final.

Source : Gulf-Times