** Main picture: Anne Schröder in action at the 2018 Indoor World Cup. Picture: Frank Uijlenbroek/World Sport Pics
The EuroHockey Indoor Championships for women and men will make its long-awaited return with spectators, participants and organisers thrilled the tournament will take place in the Hamburg Sports Hall from 7 to 11 December 2022.
The tournament was originally due to take place last December before the pandemic led to its postponement. Advance ticket sales starts today, Tuesday September 6th. Most of last year’s ticket holders took advantage of the option to keep their tickets. It means almost 70% of seats are already taken for the finals weekend, promising a big, loud crowd. The remaining tickets will now go on sale via www.hockeyticket.de.
Tournament format adjusted
Due to the current exclusion of Russia and Belarus from European club events – in line with FIH and IOC guidelines – both the women’s and men’s tournaments have adapted formats.
As the 2021 EuroHockey Indoor Championship II was able to be held last winter, no side was able to be promoted to fill the two slots in the respective competitions. Following consultation with the European Hockey Federation, the tournaments will now be played with a preliminary group of six teams in a “round-robin” format, followed by a final and matches for places.
“This format preserves the high sporting value of the event and offers all teams six games to make their mark on the competition. Indoor hockey fans can look forward to a top-class EuroHockey Championship tournament in Hamburg, one of the European strongholds of our sport,” said EHF President Marijke Fleuren looking forward to the EuroHockey Championship.
“It’s great that the Active City can offer this most important tournament in European indoor hockey to the sports enthusiastic people of Hamburg and many guests from a wide range of countries,” says Hamburg’s sports senator Andy Grote. “After the high-class Pro League event in June against the Netherlands, the German national hockey teams are thus returning to Hamburg for a second time this year.
Illustrious field of participants expected
In the men’s line-up, defending champions Germany and reigning world champions Austria will be joined by the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland in the fight for the medals.
In the women’s event, world indoor champions Germany will be awaiting the Netherlands, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Austria and the debutantes from Türkiye for a showdown in the 4,000-seat Hamburg sports hall in Alsterdorf.
“We are pleased this EuroHockey Indoor Championship has not been cancelled altogether because Hamburg is an extremely attractive and important hockey location for the DHB,” said DHB sports director Dr Christoph Menke-Salz.
“Even though the mid-December date is a challenge – not only because of a men’s outdoor world championship in India coming up at short notice – we will do our utmost to send indoor national teams that can compete for gold in the Active City.”
The ticket prices – which remain at the same price as last year – include travel to and from the event via Hamburg’s public transport system.
For further information, go to: www.hockey.de & www.hockeyticket.de
Tobias Hauke in action at the 2018 Indoor World Cup. Picture: Frank Uijlenbroek/World Sport Pics
