By Bill Colwill
As the England team departs for Australia and the long-awaited Ashes series, Lord’s, the home of cricket, will be opening its gates to world hockey.
The International Hockey Federation (FIH), the world governing body, will be holding its biennial Congress in London at cricket’s headquarters on November 11.
More than 80 countries affiliated to the FIH are expected to attend. At present, there are 117 national association members of the FIH. This number will probably increase after the London Congress, based on a recommendation of the Executive Board, the Congress delegates will be asked to approve five new member associations: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Ecuador and Estonia.
Beside the Congress, more FIH activities are scheduled in London all week. This evening (Monday November 6) the Glasgow Bid Committee for the 2014 Commonwealth Games will be holding a reception in the Long Room at Lord’s.
The day before the Congress, the FIH WorldHockey Forum “Synergy for Success” will take place in the Nursery Pavilion, while over both days an exhibition by FIH partners and suppliers will be on view for delegates in the Pavilion.
During the week FIH Office Bearers, the FIH Executive Board and all FIH Committees will meet in London prior to the Congress.
The hockey family is no stranger to Lord’s. In 1967, games in the pre-Olympic tournament were held at Lord’s and throughout the 1970s, numerous international games and the annual Varsity match were played on the hallowed turf.