A lone Belgian indoor player walks out into middle of the arena, with stick and wheeling his luggage. Of course there are no fans, or even a global tournament taking place.
But one year from now, the hope is that international hockey will be back firing and Indoor World Cup organisers have started the countdown for the 2022 event in Liege after the initial 2021 tournament was put back.
And in a promotional video put out by the FIH, Philippe Simar, of the Belgian Indoor Red Lions, agreed to “step into the skin of the distracted athlete, appearing in front of the famous Liège sports temple to play his match… a year too early.”
Starting the one year countdown, Hockey Belgium director General Serge Pilet said: “This marks a new start for our organization, in collaboration with the Province of Liège. Little by little, communication around the event will gain momentum. Ticketing should start right after summer.”
FIH chief executive Thierry Weil added: “The FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup is the pinnacle of indoor hockey globally and the Belgian organizers are doing their utmost to offer all fans a top-flight event! Therefore, we’re looking forward to some thrilling matches as well as an amazing atmosphere next year!”
The 2022 tournament will be the sixth edition of the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup.
The flagship event will see 12 teams compete in the men’s and women’s competitions. Germany women and Austria men were winners of the 2018 edition, which took place in Berlin and was noted for its incredible atmosphere.
