Dubai: Giving yet another boost to Dubai's claim of being the sporting capital of the Middle East, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has decided to set up its academy in the Dubai Sports City.
The Dubai Sports City signed a long-term partnership with the FIH, the world governing body for hockey, in Moenchengladbach, Germany during the World Cup yesterday.
Plans for setting up a hockey academy in Dubai Sports City had been revealed in Gulf News (dated July 31, 2006).
Speaking to Gulf News yesterday, Malcolm Thorpe, Marketing Director, Sports Business, Dubai Sports City, said: "It will be the first FIH academy of its kind. It will be based in the Dubai Sports City."
The academy will be known as the World Hockey Academy and will be managed by the Dubai Sports City. It will provide coaching at the highest level with well-known coaches, some of whom have represented their countries at the international level.
The Dubai Sports City announced that hockey players, both professional and amateurs would be able to utilise the World Hockey Academy.
The academy will be set up in the Dubai Sports City's hockey stadium, which has been built according to guidelines set by the FIH.
State-of-the-art facilities
The Dubai Sports City has assured the FIH that they will provide state-of-the-art facilities for the academy, which includes an excellent sports medicine system. The stadium will have a seating capacity of 5,000. There will be separate areas for matches and practice.
Following the agreement signed in Germany yesterday, Els van Breda Vriesman, President, FIH, said: "This is a significant day in the development of world field hockey and, indeed, in the evolution of the International Hockey Federation.
"This association with Dubai Sports City will not only serve to boost the profile of field hockey on the international stage, but will also provide first-class, leading-edge training facilities."
Vriesman, who had visited Dubai four years ago, added: "Although we have yet to scope out the specific operations of the academy, we know we have found exactly the right partner in Dubai Sports City because of its vision for the development of global sport and the commitment of other first-class sporting names to the project so far."
