Muscat – Oman will host the biggest gathering of international hockey stars, officials and regulators as the International Hockey Federation (FIH) celebrates its 100th anniversary in November.

The important milestone for the sport will be celebrated with the organisation of FIH Centennial and the 49th FIH Statutory Congress in Muscat from November 7 to November 9, in cooperation with the Oman Hockey Association.

 ‘The whole ‘Hockey Family’ will have the unique opportunity to meet and to celebrate the centennial together,’ FIH stated.

As part of their first in-person global gathering since the 2018 Congress, the delegates of the 49th Congress have been invited by the FIH and its President Tayyab Ikram to reflect and debate about key matters to grow hockey.

The ‘FIH Empowerment and Engagement Forum’ – named as the eponymous strategy launched by President Ikram last year at the Olympic House, in attendance of IOC President Thomas Bach  – will take place on November 8.

Following the FIH President’s opening address, Continental Federations and National Associations delegates from all around the world, together with representatives from FIH, will begin the session with a focus on athletes and women. With FIH implementing an ‘athletes first’ strategy and being a firm advocate of a gender equal sport, discussions will be conducted around the question of how athletes and women can be better supported.

Then, through specific workshops, further crucial topics for the development of the game will be tackled such as development, participation, communication and promotion, facilities and funding, and technology solutions.

The Congress participants will also hear a number of reports and presentations. From the French Hockey Association talking about the strategy and legacy benefits from hosting the Paris 2024 Olympics, to the Belgian and Dutch Hockey Associations informing the assembly about the 2026 FIH World Cup that they’re co-hosting, the Croatian Hockey Association hosting their first-ever FIH World Cup – namely, the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup – in February next year and finally FIH’s Global Supplier Polytan.

Commenting on the upcoming Forum, FIH President Tayyab Ikram said: “Following the success of the National Associations’ summits that we’ve organised in the last two years, I’m very much looking forward to this Forum. Initiating a more intensive interaction between all members of our global hockey community, fostering best practice sharing and knowledge transfer, urging the biggest National Associations to support the less-privileged ones are some of the key principles that shall guide our debates. I’m a firm believer in dialogue and exchange as key facilitators to grow together. This Forum has been conceived in that spirit.”