Hot on the heels of the hugely successful Masters Hockey World Cup in Canberra, the Australian harbour city of Newcastle is gearing up to host another mega-event: the Grand Masters World Cup 2016.
The competition – which will be played between 3-12 May 2016 – is one the largest events of its kind ever held, with more than 800 players, 25 umpires, 25 officials, 30 medical personnel, 43 managers, up to 700 partners and thousands of proud supporters from over 16 countries.
The event is organised by the World Grand Masters Association (WGMA), which was founded in 2002 to regulate international tournaments and to encourage the development of hockey around the globe for players aged 60 and over. The WGMA has shown outstanding growth and was officially recognised by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in 2006.
In Newcastle, official FIH WGMA World Cup titles are on the line in the 60+, 65+ and 70+ age categories, while the WGMA Tournament Trophies will feature a combination of national 2nd teams and affiliated international teams.
The recent Masters World Cup in Canberra proved to be an extremely successful one for host nation Australia, claiming five of the nine titles that were on offer. They will be aiming for more of the same in Newcastle, although they are sure to face some serious challenges from teams representing New Zealand, Netherlands, England, South Africa, Japan, Germany, Malaysia and Belgium amongst others.
Like the event in Canberra, the size of the Grand Masters World Cup is another clear indicator as to the continued growth of Masters and Grand Masters Hockey. This is perfectly in line with Big Goal 4 of FIH’s Hockey Revolution Strategy, to generate millions more followers around the world from all ages and backgrounds.
FIH President Leandro Negre, who will be present in Newcastle to witness the Grand Masters World Cup first hand, said: “Events like these play a hugely important role in the development of our sport. They provide yet another example of the inclusivity of hockey, the athletes represented are an example of how this is a lifelong sport, open to players of all ages and from all sorts of backgrounds.”
More details about the Grand Masters Hockey World Cup event in Newcastle can be found at the links below.
Official Grand Masters Hockey World Cup website – click here.
Hockey Australia Grand Masters World Cup webpage – click here
Twitter: @WGMAhockey
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