New Delhi, April 2
In a big relief for India, the Hockey Series Finals, the country’s only route to next year’s Tokyo Olympics, will be held as scheduled in Bhubaneswar in June, despite the International Olympic Committee’s ban on hosting global events.
In the wake of the Pulwama terror attack in February, India refused to issue visas to a three-member shooting contingent from Pakistan for the World Cup in New Delhi, leading to the IOC asking all the international federations not to award global events to the country. But a top Indian Olympic Association (IOA) official said that the Hockey Series Finals, from June 6-16, will go ahead as scheduled. “We (IOA and IOC) have reached an understanding on this issue and I can say it is almost confirmed that Hockey Series Finals will be held in June in Bhubaneswar,” the official said. India had pulled out of the Hockey Pro League and they will have to compete in the Hockey Series Finals to qualify for the Olympics. The world over, there will be three Hockey Series Finals of eight teams each. The top-two teams in each of Hockey Series Finals will qualify for the Olympic qualification events to be held in October and November. — PTI
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2K2FGON
via Today’s News Headlines
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