After a gap of 25 years India will host the men's field hockey World Cup in 2010, the year in which it will also host the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
"The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has allotted the men's World Cup 2010 to India," IHF secretary K. Jothikumaran said on Thursday.
"The decision has been officially communicated by FIH, after careful consideration of the meticulously prepared bid document of the IHF. The event will be hosted in February 2010, at Dhyanchand National Stadium New Delhi," Jothikumaran added.
IHF Chief KPS Gill said he was positive about the successful conduct of the tournament and renovation of the venue would begin soon.
"I am very positive. We are being backed by the Indian Olympic Association. The venue, which will have three pitches and state-of- the-art facilities, will be ready in time. The remodelling will start shortly and by 2009 it will be complete," he said.
This will be the first time that India will host the World Cup on a synthetic surface. India has hosted the World Cup only once, in Bombay in 1982. The 1982 tournament was played on natural grass.
IHF had bid for the World Cup in consultation with the ministry of youth affairs and sports, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
FIH and IHF hope to sign a mutual agreement and finalise details within a month, said a statement released by the executive board of IHF.
The IHF bid was helped by the fact that much of the infrastructure for the World Cup, including synthetic surfaces, will be ready by 2010, as India will be hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games, which will be held eight months after the World Cup from October 3-14.
