Delhi will host hockey WC in 2010

Delhi was on Friday named as the official host of the 2010 Men’s Hockey World Cup.

Battling to wash off stains of a bribery scandal and recovering from its absence from the Olympics, the sport has got a much-needed boost. Ending a long period of uncertainty, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) finally gave the hosting rights of the Men’s World Cup to India.

The FIH had provisionally given the rights to Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) last year pending fulfillment of some conditions. “Delhi has officially been given the rights to host the Men's World Cup. We hope this will help revive Indian hockey,” FIH president Els van Breda Viersman told a press conference here.

The tournament would be organised at the city’s National Stadium, currently being renovated in the run-up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games.