Hockey World Cup 2010

Hero Honda Title Sponsor of the FIH Men's World Cup 2010

• Australia beats Germany 2-1 in World Cup field hockey final
  New Delhi: Breaking News! A spirited and rejuvenated Australian team proved excellence in field hockey and won the FIH Hockey World Cup 2010. Australia beat Germany 2-1 in the final at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi.
  Germany, which was eying for a hat-trick Hockey World Cup title, were left disappointed with the loss, but they will certainly admit that they were outclassed by the Kangaroos today. Germany had won the Hockey World Cup in 2002 and 2006.
  It was Australia's first Hockey World Cup title in the last 24 years. The last time they had won the World Cup in 1986. Australia started their World Cup campaign with a loss against England. However, they never looked back after that and went on to win the gold medal.
  Germany had to be content with a silver medal. Their players looked dejected after the loss. For Australia,Eddie Ockenden and Luke Doerner scored the goals. For Germany, Moritz Furste scored the lone goal.

india is host OF World Cup 2010

• India's hosting of the event was put in doubt, however, when the FIH reviewed the progress of the 'Indian Hockey Federations "Promoting Indian Hockey" program and India's preparation for the championship, and warned that "satisfactory progress had not been made in either area". India was warned it could lose the right to host the World Cup unless satisfactory progress was made. It was confirmed on July 18, 2008 that International Hockey Federation formally awarded the hosting rights to India.

About teams OF World Cup 2010

Indian Hockey Team

• India have qualified for the Hero Honda FIH 2010 World Cup as tournament hosts. It is the second time in history that India hosts the FIH World cup. Previously, Bombay (nowadays known as Mumbai) staged the competition in 1982.
• Hockey is alive in India, the country with arguably the most formidable pedigree in men's hockey, having won 11 Olympic medals including an unparalleled eight golds. Visions of India teams surface, sides that were propelled by such mesmerising players like Dhyan Chand, the legend that has given his name to the venue for the Hero Honda FIH 2010 World Cup. Spaniard Jos� Manuel Brasa is in charge of helping return India to its previous lore, which is no mean feat. In 2008, India's gradual demise led to them missing out on the Olympic Games for the first time since 1920. India have not won a medal in a major international competition since winning a Champions Trophy bronze in 1982, coincidentally the year in which India previously hosted the World Cup.

Pakistan Hockey Team

• Pakistan qualified for the Hero Honda FIH 2010 World Cup by defeating Japan 3-1 in the final of the first of three World Cup qualifiers. The return of Sohail Abbas, the penalty corner specialist and all-time world record holder for most international goals, inspired hockey giants Pakistan in the French town of Lille which hosted the qualifier. An Abbas brace in the final raised his tournament leading goal total to nine.
• Pakistan, record holders with four FIH World Cups, are out to prove a point. They have not finished in the top four of the World Cup or the Olympic Games since winning the FIH World Cup in Sydney in 1994. After losing the final of the Champions Challenge to New Zealand in December 2009, Pakistan are certain of missing out on the Champions Trophy, a tournament conceived in Pakistan itself, for the third straight year.

Australia Hockey Team

• Australia qualified for the Hero Honda FIH 2010 World Cup by defeating New Zealand 3-1 in the final of the Oceania Cup, held in Invercargill, New Zealand, in August 2009. Besides the two Oceanian forces, the 2009 Oceania Cup featured only one other nation, Samoa, a side that was crushed 26-0 by the Kookaburras. In the final, Australia fell behind 1-0 to the Black Sticks, but two Grant Schubert goals put the Australians in front for good.
• Australia look as ready as they have ever been to win their second FIH World Cup and their first since 1986. That winning campaign was led by Ric Charlesworth, then the superstar, now the head coach. The 57-year-old Charlesworth is aiming to become only the second individual to win the World Cup both as a player and as a coach. The first to achieve that was Holland's Hans Jorritsma who was part of the Dutch national team in 1973 and then led Holland (1990) and Pakistan (1994) to the trophy.

New Zealand Hockey Team

• New Zealand qualified for the Hero Honda FIH 2010 World Cup by defeating Malaysia 2-1 in the final of the second out of three World Cup qualifiers. Before a local crowd in Invercargill, the Black Sticks erased a 1-0 Malaysia lead with Andrew Hayward scoring his sixth and tournament leading seventh goal on a weekend that also saw New Zealand men's national football team qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Apart from New Zealand and Malaysia, the qualifier also included Scotland, China, Austria and Wales.
• Head coach Shane McLeod represented the Black Sticks as a player from 1995 to 1997, a relatively low point for Kiwi Hockey, with New Zealand failing to qualify for any of the three major competitions during that stretch. Now looks like the time for McLeod and his men to reach for an all-time high.

England Hockey Team

• England qualified for the Hero Honda FIH 2010 World Cup by emerging as the proud winners of last summer's EuroHockey Nations Tournament that took place in Amstelveen, Netherlands. England effectively sealed their World Cup berth by reaching the semifinals in that competition, which granted four entries to the World Cup. England are gearing up for the 2012 Summer Olympics, which will be hosted by London. Winning the 2009 EuroHockey Nations or European Championship was a welcome step in establishing themselves as one of the favourites there. The 2010 World Cup marks the next important hurdle for the English, who typically make up the bulk of the Great Britain teams venturing into the Olympics. At the 2009 EuroHockey Nations Championship, Jason Lee's side dismissed hosts Holland in the semis before edging world and Olympic champions Germany in the final.

Canada Hockey Team

Canada qualified for the Hero Honda FIH 2010World Cup by triumphing in the 2009 Pan American Cup (not to be confused with the Pan American Games), which took place in Santiago, Chile, in March 2009. In the semifinals, Canada frustrated Argentina, like they had done several times before, beating the South Americans 4-3 after extra time. In the final, they met a defiant United States team, which was ultimately vanquished 2-1 after extra time. In that match, Paul Wettlaufer scored the golden goal that propelled Canada to the 2010 World Cup.

Netherlands Hockey Team

• Netherlands qualified for the Hero Honda FIH 2010 World Cup by finishing in third place at the 2009 Euro Hockey Nations Tournament, which took place in their home stadium in Amstelveen. Netherlands effectively sealed their World Cup berth by reaching the semifinals in that competition, which granted four entries to the World Cup.
• Returning to the top of the hockey world and looking down on creation is Holland's principal aim for the 2010 FIH World Cup, but they will have to go through nations that have had their number in recent years: Australia and Germany. Also, they must fend off upstart opponents like Argentina and possibly England as well as the dangerous Koreans. The latter moved into the semifinals at the expense of Holland at the 2006 World Cup and also haunted them in the 2009 Champions Trophy.
• German Hockey Team
• Germany qualified for the Hero Honda FIH 2010 World Cup by finishing runners-up at the 2009 EuroHockey Nations Tournament, which took place in Amstelveen, Netherlands. Germany effectively sealed their World Cup berth by reaching the semifinals in that competition, which granted four entries to the World Cup.
• Germany are reigning Olympic champions and two time defending world champions and are making a bid to become the first nation to win the FIH World Cup three times in a row. In a balanced team like Germany's, there is room for one superstar. 2006 FIH Young Player of the Year Christopher Zeller is an astute striker and also one of the world's most feared penalty corner specialists.

Spain Hockey Team

• Spain qualified for the Hero Honda FIH 2010 World Cup by finishing in fourth place at the 2009 EuroHockey Nations Tournament, which took place in Amstelveen, Netherlands. Spain effectively sealed their World Cup berth by reaching the semifinals in that competition, which granted four entries to the World Cup.
• After winning another silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Spain must feel that a gold medal is their due. Having won medals seven times in World Cup and Olympics, but never the gold, will feel trying at times. Spain's major successes in international men's hockey have been winning the 2004 Champions Trophy and the 2005 European Championship, top achievements that are even trumped by their female counterparts, who won the 1992 Olympic Games, despite creating considerably less waves through the years. Four years ago, Spain's men turned in an undefeated campaign in M�nchengladbach only to be eliminated in the semifinals after a draw and a penalty shootout won by Germany.

South Korea Hockey Team

• South Korea (or: Korea Republic) qualified for the Hero Honda FIH 2010 World Cup by defeating Pakistan 1-0 in the final of the Asia Cup, a tournament held in Kuantan Pahang, Malaysia, in May 2009. The competition featured all the Asian forces in men's hockey. Apart from Korea and Pakistan, Malaysia, Japan, India, China and Bangladesh also were present.
• Without ever having won a major competition, it is still fair to say that Korea are among the most dangerous opponents to any side in the world today. The closest they came to raising a trophy in a major tournament came when they finished runners-up in the 1999 Champions Trophy and the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Counting them out or underestimating them is a capital mistake. In the 2009 Champions Trophy in Melbourne, they opened with a 4-0 whitewash defeat against Australia and then rebounded by defeating world champions Germany 5-3, following up with a 2-1 upset of Netherlands. They denied Holland once again in the bronze medal match, collecting their third CT medal and their first since 2000.

South Africa Hockey Team

• South Africa qualified for the Hero Honda FIH 2010 World Cup by defeating Egypt 3-1 in the final of the 2009 Africa Cup, which took place in Accra, Ghana, in July 2009. The tournament also included the host nation and Nigeria. South Africa cruised to victory, the goal they conceded in the final being the only one allowed in the tournament, and their last goal in the final being the 21st they put on the opposition.
• Head coach Gregg Clark is charged with the task to return South Africa to respectability. They have finished last and second to last in the previous two World Cups and they have also finished bottom in the 2008 Olympic Games, a tournament played under Clark's tutelage. Losing the eleventh place final against China must have hurt with the elated hosts remarkably celebrating like an Olympic medal had just been won. However, that certainly cannot have hurt as much as the 10-0 beating at the hands of Australia in their second group match. The Springboks left China with their tails between their legs, having lost all of their six matches and conceding 29 goals in those six defeats.

Argentina Hockey Team

• Argentina became the last of 12 nations to qualify for the Hero Honda FIH 2010 World Cup, by emerging victorious in the third and final World Cup qualifier, which took place before a home crowd in Quilmes. On 21 November 2009, the Argentines dismissed a feisty Belgian side 4-3 in the final, after booking group stage victories against the Czech Republic, the United States, Ireland and Chile.
• When Argentina won the bronze medal at the 2008 Champions Trophy it marked the first time silverware had been won by any nation from the Americas in any major international men's hockey competition. The onus of an encore is on the shoulders of 40-year-old head coach Pablo Lombi, who, as a player, represented his country in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games and the 1994 FIH World Cup. Those are not the only exploits of the Lombi family. Pablo Lombi's younger brother Jorge was joint top scorer at the 2002 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur on 10 goals.

Men’s Hockey 2010 World Cup Format

• Twelve participants of the tournament will be divided into two pools of 6 teams each. In each pool, all of the six teams will play against each other once in a round robin league system. Winning team of each game will be awarded 3 points, while the losing team will not earn any point. For drawn matches, both teams will be given 1 point each. So, each of the 12 teams will play 5 matches in the preliminary stage of the tournament. Based on the points achieved through the matches played in the preliminary stage, top two teams from each pool will progress to the semi final. Winners of the two semi finals will meet in the final, while the loosing semi finalists will take on each other in the third and fourth place deciding match.
• Teams who will fail to make it to the semi final will compete for the places starting from 5^th to 12^th through four more matches. Third placed teams from each pool will take on each other for the 5^th place. Winning team will win the 5^th place, while the losing side will finish 6^th in the tournament. In the same way, teams finished 4^th in each pool will play for the 7^th place and this match will determine the 7^th and 8^th places. Teams finishing 5^th in both pool will face each other in a playoff to determine the 9^th and 10^th places. Last two places (11^th and 12^th) will be decided through the playoff between the teams finishing 6^th in each pool in the preliminary round.

Teams in Pool A and Pool B are given below:

• Pool A	Pool B
  Argentina	Australia
  Canada	England
  Germany	India
  Netherlands	Pakistan
  New Zealand	South Africa
  South Korea	Spain

• Here, you can get the full schedule of Men’s Hockey World Cup 2010:

• Schedule of Men’s Hockey World Cup 2010
  Stage/ Match	Date	Competing Teams	Time (Local)	Venue
  Preli-minary	28 Feb Sun	South Africa vs Spain	16:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  		Australia vs England	18:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  		India vs Pakistan	20:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  	1 Mar Mon	New Zealand vs Canada	16:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  		Germany vs South Korea	18:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  		Netherlands vs Argentina	20:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  	2 Mar Tues	South Africa vs England	16:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  		Pakistan vs Spain	18:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  		India vs Australia	20:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  	3 Mar Wed	Canada vs Germany	16:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  		Argentina vs South Korea	18:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  		New Zealand vs Netherlands	20:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  	4 Mar Thurs	South Africa vs Australia	16:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  		England vs Pakistan	18:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  		India vs Spain	20:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  	5 Mar Fri	South Korea vs New Zealand	16:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  		Netherlands vs Canada	18:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  		Germany vs Argentina	20:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  	6 Mar Sat	Australia vs Spain	16:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  		South Africa vs Pakistan	18:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  		India vs England	20:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  	7 Mar Sun	South Korea vs Canada	16:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  		New Zealand vs Argentina	18:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  		Germany vs Netherlands	20:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  	8 Mar Mon	Spain vs England	16:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  		Australia vs Pakistan	18:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  		India vs South Africa	20:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  	9 Mar Tues	Germany vs New Zealand	16:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  		Netherlands vs South Korea	18:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  		Canada vs Argentina	20:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  11th-12th Place Play-off	11 Mar Thur	Pool A 6th vs Pool B 6th	15:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  First Semi- Final	11 Mar Thur	Pool A 1st vs Pool B 2nd	18:05	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  Second Semi- Final	11 Mar Thur	Pool A 2nd vs Pool B 1st	20:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  9th-10th Place Play-off	12 Mar Fri	Pool A 5th vs Pool B 5th	15:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  7th-8th Place Play-off	12 Mar Fri	Pool A 4th vs Pool B 4th	18:05	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  5th-6th Place Play-off	12 Mar Fri	Pool A 3rd vs Pool B 3rd	20:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  3rd Place Play-off	13 Mar Sat	Looser of 1st Semi-Final vs Looser of 2nd Semi-Final	15:35	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi
  Final	13 Mar Sat	Winner of 1st Semi-Final vs Winner of 2nd Semi-Final	18:05	Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Del

FRIENDS