A delegation from the Dutch and Belgian Hockey Associations just had a 2-day meeting with FIH at hockey’s world governing body’s office in Lausanne, Switzerland, to discuss key topics related to the organisation of the next FIH Hockey World Cup in 2026.

In his opening words, FIH President Tayyab Ikram stated: “On behalf of FIH and in my personal name, I would like to renew our thanks to our friends from Belgium and the Netherlands for co-hosting the next edition of our most prestigious event in 2026. We’re glad to benefit from the top-class expertise of these two major hockey nations. It was great to host the delegation led by the CEOs of the Belgian and Dutch Hockey Associations, namely Serge Pilet and Erik Gerritsen, respectively. This interaction provided us an excellent opportunity to discuss strategic items and operational areas. And also to focus on areas that go beyond the sport itself, such as sustainability and inclusion, in order to leave a lasting legacy, thanks to this World Cup, to hockey and society.”

Dutch Hockey Association CEO Erik Gerritsen said: "It was very good to have all the involved parties here at the same table to take the next steps towards a successful World Cup in 2026! The 2026 World Cup will be an event where we think and collaborate beyond boundaries. We have already been doing this intensively with the KBHB and the FIH, and these days are also a good example of that. The presence of Tayyab Ikram and the words he said, to add an extra dimension to the event, gave a lot of motivation to everyone present."

Hockey Belgium CEO Serge Pilet said: “I would like to thank FIH for having hosted this very constructive World Cup 2026 coordination meeting. We were able to discuss most organisational topics and a lot of important decisions were made. More than ever we are convinced that our collaboration with the Dutch federation in the joint organisation of this double-gender World Cup will enable us to bring hockey to the world in a spectacular, innovative and unforgettable way.”

The FIH Hockey World Cup Netherlands-Belgium 2026 (15-30 August 2026) will involve the best female and male hockey athletes on the planet.

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