Semi-finals? They are the round of play before the grand finals aren’t they? Well, yes, in many competitions that is exactly what a semi-final is, but for the Hockey World League Semi-Finals (HWL SF), these could be one of the most important competitions that a national team plays in.
This is because the HWL SF events offer one of the routes to Olympic qualification, with the top placed teams in this year’s four HWL SFs (two men’s and two women’s) all guaranteed a place at Rio 2016.
A total of 40 teams will be contesting HWL SF events at Antwerp and Buenos Aires in the men’s events and Valencia and Antwerp in the women’s events, knowing that this is one of their best opportunities to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. The HWL SFs are a structured and clear way for teams to qualify, over a two-year cycle – for either the Olympics or the World Cup, which is why the HWL is a pathway along which heroics can happen.
More than 60 nations took part in Round 1 of the HWL and the opportunity to open potential Olympic qualification to this many nations, is one of the main reasons of the specific structure of the HWL. The teams entering HWL Round 1 are the teams with a World Ranking of 20 or below. These are the teams that rarely get the chance to play on the big stage and, for many of them, hockey is still very much in developmental stages. But, with the introduction of the HWL, these teams get exposure to more international competition and, importantly, a chance to progress.
Take the HWL SF in Valencia this year, for example, Ireland, Canada and Uruguay have all qualified via Round 2 and Canada qualified for Round 2 from Round 1. While these lower ranked teams – 14, 20 and 29 respectively – may be expected to struggle against the likes of Germany, Great Britain and Argentina, until the final whistle blows then their Olympic dreams remain very much alive.
The HWL Finals, which take place at the end of the year in India and Argentina (men’s and women’s events respectively) are the show-stopper finale to the HWL series. Eight top teams emerging from the Semi-Finals will compete against each other for the title.
Talking about the culmination of the HWL, FIH CEO Kelly Fairweather says: “The Finals are the last major event of 2015 and will mark the end of a journey that began in June 2014. As well as the valuable ranking points on offer, the winning teams will be rewarded with places at the elite 2016 FIH Champions Trophy tournaments. It is also an opportunity to play in a blue riband event before the Olympics. This is the showcase event of 2015.”
