Men’s field hockey one step closer to Rio 2016 with World League result

The men’s field hockey team finished third in a Round 2 tournament of the International Hockey Federation’s (IHF) World League, assuring a chance to compete for Rio 2016 qualification during World League Round 3.

Canada overcame Russia 4-1 on Sunday in the 3th / 4th place game. Ireland beat Austria in the final.

According to Shaheed Devji of fieldhockey.ca a top-three finish at World League Round 3, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from June 3-14, 2015, will qualify the team for Rio. So would winning this summer’s Pan Am Games in Toronto.

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There will actually be two World League Round 3 events, featuring ten teams each for a total of twenty. Devji writes nine teams, including Canada, qualified out of three different World League 2 events. The remaining eleven will qualify based on world rankings at the time of World League 3.

In addition to Argentina, the other World League 3 will be held in Belgium between June 20 and July 5, 2015.

The men were last in the Olympics at Beijing 2008. Canada’s men have made six Olympic Games field hockey appearances, (2008, 2000, 1988, 1984, 1976, 1964).

Cover: FIH / Paul Winstanley