Asian Games will be hockey qualifying event for 2024 Olympics, confirms FIH president

The Asian Games, which were to be held last year in the Chinese city of Hangzhou but postponed due to worsening COVID-19 situation in the country, is scheduled to be held in the Chinese city from September 23 to October 8.Tayyab, a Pakistan-born Macau citizen, is currently a member of the Hangzhou Asian Games Coordination Committee which is headed by former Indian Olympic Association secretary general and current Olympic Council of Asia acting chief Randhir Singh."Asian Games is on, 100 per cent on. I happen to be a senior member of the Hangzhou Asian Games Coordination Committee and I am continuing in that role," Tayyab said at a press conference ahead of the FIH Men's World Cup final here.

"This March, we (Asian Games Coordination Committee) are going to have a meeting in Hangzhou in China. The venue was almost ready in the beginning of last year, so there is no problem regarding the Asian Games serving as a qualifier of the 2014 Paris Olympics.""Of course, there was a time we were thinking of having another tournament as Olympic qualifiers in case China is not able to host the Asian Games," said Tayyab, who was Asian Hockey Federation CEO before he was elected as IHF chief last year, replacing India's Narinder Batra.Asian Games normally serves as Olympic qualifiers but there was confusion after the Hangzhou Asian Games were postponed from last year to this year due to COVID-19 situation in China.As per the qualification procedure for Paris Games laid down by the FIH, 12 teams each in men and women will participate in the competition.The host nation France will get a direct berth in both the sections. Besides, five continental champions from Africa, Pan America, Asia, Europe and Oceania will also qualify directly.For