World league to determine field hockey qualifiers

Field hockey's world body FIH is planning a new world league that will replace the present qualifying tournaments for the Olympics and the World Cup.

FIH president Leandro Negre said on Wednesday that the league will be held every two years, with the first round of the inaugural edition starting "just after the London Olympics" this year in August or September.

Under the proposed system, there will be four rounds of the league to decide the six or seven teams that will join the host country and five continental champions in the Olympics or World Cup.

The final round of the inaugural men's league will be held in India in February 2014 while that of the women's league will be played in Argentina in December 2013.