FIH Men’s Series Finals Kuala Lumpur 2019

26 April – 4 May 2019 Media Kit

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Contents

General Information

Page 3: Key contacts and resources Page 4: Welcome message from FIH President Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra Page 5: FIH Series Open & Finals – Questions & Answers Page 9: About Kuala Lumpur and the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium

Competition

Page 11: Competition format Page 14: Match schedule Page 15: Teams Page 20: Competition officials

Useful information

Page 21: Event logos for download Page 21: Event Photography Page 22: FIH World Rankings

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Key contact and resources

Contact For all media queries relating to the event, please contact:

Sarah Juggins – FIH Event Media Manager Email: [email protected]

Event Name: FIH Men’s Series Finals Kuala Lumpur 2019 When: 26 April - 4 May 2019 Where: National Hockey Stadium, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia Teams: Canada, Malaysia, China, Austria, Wales, Brazil, Italy, Belarus Event website: https://www.fihseriesfinals.com

Broadcast and live streaming Global broadcast and live streaming information will be published on the event website as listed above when it becomes available.

In January 2019, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) launched the FIH.live global broadcast platform. This year, all FIH competitions will be available live on FIH.live in every market where a broadcaster will not be showing the matches. This includes the inaugural FIH Pro League, the FIH Series Finals and the FIH Olympic qualifiers. To visit FIH.live, click here.

FIH Tournament Management System (TMS) Raw competition data including match starting line-up pdfs, pool tables, top scorers, in-match statistics and daily appointment sheets will be available for the media at https://tms.fih.ch/competitions/1049.

Social media The FIH will provide comprehensive coverage of the event via our social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Facebook: facebook.com/fihockey Instagram: instagram.com/fihockey Twitter: twitter.com/fih_hockey Hashtags: #FIHSeriesFinals

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A message of welcome from Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra, President of the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

Dear all,

On behalf of the International Hockey Federation (FIH), it is my great pleasure to welcome you to the FIH Series Finals, events that are all crucial milestones on the road to earning qualification for the men’s and women’s hockey competitions at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

Between April and June of this year, a total of six FIH Series Finals events will be hosted by the National Associations of Malaysia, India, Ireland, France, Japan and Spain. Kuala Lumpur (MAS), Bhubaneswar (IND) and Le Touquet (FRA) will all stage men’s events, with women’s competitions taking place in Banbridge (IRL), Hiroshima (JPN) and Valencia (ESP).

Each Finals event will consist of eight teams, with the best performers from last year’s FIH Series Open events taking on a group of nations who pre- qualified for the Finals events due to higher placement in the FIH World Rankings. I am certain that the qualifying nations from the FIH Series Open will be relishing the opportunity to upset the odds against supposedly superior opposition.

With berths in the new Olympic qualifiers on the line, not to mention valuable rankings points, it is difficult to overstate the significance of these competitions to all nations taking part. The top two finishers at each of the six FIH Series Finals competitions will win through to those Olympic qualifiers, joining the best performers from the FIH Pro League as well as some of the highest ranked nations in the sport. The Olympic qualifiers are scheduled to take place towards the end of the year and will each feature two nations playing two back-to-back matches for that coveted ticket to Tokyo.

The opportunity for even the smallest of hockey playing nations to make their mark, qualify for the Olympic Games and write their own chapter in hockey’s history books is something I passionately believe in. The FIH Series Open saw numerous shock results that defied the FIH World Rankings, and I firmly believe that we will see more of the same in the FIH Series Finals events.

I would like to place on record my sincere thanks to the host National Associations for their tireless dedication in their planning and preparation for these events. I hope that the teams, officials and fans who attend these competitions depart with the very best of memories.

Yours in hockey,

Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra FIH President

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FIH Series Open & Finals: Questions & Answers

What is the FIH Series?

Open to all countries not in the FIH Pro League, the FIH Series gives developing hockey-playing nations the opportunity to test themselves against some of the world’s best and to qualify for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

The FIH Series is composed of two rounds, played over two years. In line with hockey’s ‘Equally Amazing’ ethos, the competitions and subsequent qualification processes are exactly the same for both the men’s and women’s competitions.

The FIH Series Open were continentally based.

From all teams competing in this round, 30 teams (15 men’s, 15 women’s) qualified for the FIH Series Finals.

Each of the FIH Series Finals will have eight teams playing in them, with berths into the Olympic qualifiers up for grabs.

Who competed in the FIH Series Open and how did nations qualify for the FIH Series Finals?

All nations affiliated to FIH that were not playing in the FIH Pro League were eligible to enter the FIH Series Open, which took place between June and December 2018. The teams marked in bold achieved qualification for the FIH Series Finals.

Date Location Final Standings Website TMS

Men: 1: USA, 2: Mexico, 3: https://tms.fih.ch/competiti Puerto Rico, 4: Panama, 5: Salamanca ons/934 5 - 10 Costa Rica (MEX) - Men Event page Jun 2018 Women: 1: Canada, 2: & Women https://tms.fih.ch/competiti Mexico, 3: Puerto Rico, 4: ons/938 Panama, 5: Guatemala

Men: 1: Singapore, 2: Thailand, 3: Chinese Taipei, https://tms.fih.ch/competiti 4: Myanmar, 5: Hong Kong ons/939 23 Jun - Singapore China, 6: Indonesia. 1 Jul (SGP) - Men Event page 2018 & Women Women: 1: Malaysia, 2: Thailand, 3: Singapore, 4: https://tms.fih.ch/competiti Kazakhstan, 5: Hong Kong ons/940 China, 6: Indonesia

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Men: 1: Austria, 2: Wales, 25 - 30 Zagreb https://tms.fih.ch/competiti 3: Croatia, 4: Switzerland, 5: Event page Jun 2018 (CRO) -Men ons/941 Slovakia

Wattignies Women: 1: Belarus, 2: 6 - 8 Jul https://tms.fih.ch/competiti (FRA) - Russia, 3: France, 4: Event page 2018 ons/945 Women Austria

Men: 1: Vanuatu*, 2: Fiji, 3: https://tms.fih.ch/competiti 15 - 18 Port Vila Solomon Islands, 4: Tonga ons/946 Aug (VAN) – Men Event page Women: 1: Fiji, 2: Vanuatu, 2018 & Women https://tms.fih.ch/competiti 3: Solomon Islands, 4: ons/947 Tonga 21 - 26 Women: 1: Ukraine, 2: Vilnius (LTU) https://tms.fih.ch/competiti Aug Czech Republic, 3: Wales, Event page - Women ons/932 2018 4: Lithuania, 5: Turkey

28 Aug - Men: 1: Poland, 2: Italy, 3: Gniezno https://tms.fih.ch/competiti 2 Sep Ukraine, 4: Czech Republic, Event page (POL) - Men ons/930 2018 5: Lithuania, 6: Cyprus

Men: 1: Russia, 2: 4 - 9 Sep Lousada Scotland, 3: Belarus*, 4: https://tms.fih.ch/competiti Event page 2018 (POR) - Men Gibraltar, 5: Portugal, 6: ons/931 Turkey Men: 1: Chile, 2: Brazil, 3: https://tms.fih.ch/competiti Venezuela, 4: Uruguay, 5: ons/942 18 - 23 Santiago Peru, 6: Bolivia Sep (CHI) – Men Event page Women: 1: Chile, 2: 2018 & Women https://tms.fih.ch/competiti Uruguay, 3: Paraguay, 4: ons/943 Brazil, 5: Peru, 6: Bolivia Men: 1: Egypt, 2: https://tms.fih.ch/competiti Zimbabwe, 3: Zambia, 4: Bulawayo ons/1018 7 - 9 Dec Namibia (ZIM) – Men Event page 2018 & Women Women: 1: Namibia, 2: https://tms.fih.ch/competiti Zambia, 3: Zimbabwe ons/1019

17 - 22 Men: 1: Uzbekistan, 2: Lahore (PAK) https://tms.fih.ch/competiti Dec Kazakhstan, 3: Nepal, 4: Event page - Men ons/944 2018 Afghanistan * Following the withdrawal of Vanuatu, Belarus – who finished third in the Open Series event in Lousada, Portugal – were given a berth in the men’s FIH Series Finals.

The nine highest placed nations in the FIH World Ranking (as of 9 June 2017) that were not playing in the FIH Pro League were exempt from the FIH Series Open and qualified directly for the FIH Series Finals.

Men: India, Canada, Ireland, Malaysia, China, France, South Africa, Korea and Japan Women: Ireland, India, Korea, Japan, South Africa, Spain, Italy, Scotland and Poland

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In 2019, six FIH Series Finals (3 for Men, 3 for Women) will take place, each with eight teams competing. Each FIH Series Finals event will include at least five qualifiers from the FIH Series Open but contain no more than three of the teams that qualified directly for the Finals based on World Ranking. The line-ups for these events can be found below.

Date Location Gender Teams Website TMS Canada, Malaysia, 26 April – 4 Kuala Lumpur China, Austria, https://tms.fih.ch/co

Men Event page

May 2019 Malaysia Wales, Brazil, Italy, mpetitions/1049 Belarus* India, South Africa, 6 - 15 June Bhubaneswar Japan, Poland, https://tms.fih.ch/co

Men Event page 2019 India Russia, USA, mpetitions/1050 Mexico, Uzbekistan Ireland, Korea, Scotland, Czech 8-16 June Banbridge https://tms.fih.ch/co

Women Republic, Malaysia, Event page

2019 Ireland mpetitions/1052 Ukraine, France, Singapore Ireland, France, 15-23 June Le Touquet Korea, Egypt, https://tms.fih.ch/co

Men Event page 2019 France Scotland, Ukraine, mpetitions/1051 Chile, Singapore India, Japan, Chile, 15-23 June Hiroshima https://tms.fih.ch/co

Women Poland, Uruguay, Event page

2019 Japan mpetitions/1053 Russia, Mexico, Fiji Spain, Italy, Belarus, 19-27 June Valencia Canada, Russia, https://tms.fih.ch/co

Women Event page 2019 Spain Wales, Thailand, mpetitions/1054 Namibia * Following the withdrawal of Vanuatu, Belarus – who finished third in the Open Series event in Lousada, Portugal – were given a birth in the Kuala Lumpur event.

A berth in the qualifiers for the 2020 Olympic Games at stake

Teams competing in the FIH Series will not only have the chance to gain valuable FIH World Ranking points, but also the top two teams in each of the FIH Series Finals are guaranteed* a berth in the qualifiers for the 2020 Olympic Games.

* if Japan, Scotland or Wales finish in the top 2 of their respective pools, they will not secure a place in the Olympic qualifiers. Japan have already qualified as both host and winners of the Asian Games; for Scotland and Wales, the reason is that England are the nominated country for Great Britain’s qualification pathway. If any of these three teams do finish in the top 2, the team that finishes third does NOT automatically qualify for the Olympic qualifiers. Any such additional place is determined by the FIH World Rankings as at the completion of the continental championships (8 September 2019)

How do teams qualify for the Olympic Games?

The IOC approved Qualification System for the men’s and women’s Hockey competitions at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is as follows:

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• The Host Nation – Japan • The five (5) Continental Champions** • Six (6) teams from the Olympic qualifiers

** As Japan Men and Women won the Asian Games yet had already qualified as hosts, seven nations will qualify for each of the Men’s and Women’s hockey events at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 through the Olympic qualifiers

Who will play in the Olympic qualifiers?

• The top two nations in each of the three FIH Series Finals • They will be joined by the top four nations from the FIH Pro League • The remaining spots will go to the best ranked nations in the FIH World Rankings (as at the end of the 2018 / 2019 round of Continental Championships) not having qualified through either of the above events or as Continental Champions.

The seven Olympic qualifiers will each feature two nations playing two back-to-back matches, with nations drawn to play each other based on their rankings at the end of the 2018 / 2019 Continental Championships.

The nation with the highest aggregate score over the two matches will qualify for the Olympics. If at the end of the two matches both teams have same aggregate score, the winner will be decided by a shoot-out competition held immediately after the second match.

The Olympic qualifiers are scheduled for October and November 2019 and the matches will be hosted by the higher ranked of the two competing nations.

Official Olympic Hockey Qualification Guidelines can be downloaded here.

How will fans be able to watch, read and get information about the FIH Series Finals?

FIH will cover the FIH Series Finals on all of its channels including easy to access digital outlets such as the FIH website and social media. The FIH Series Finals will also be broadcast either through the FIH.LIVE broadcasting platform or through our TV broadcast partners’ channels.

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About Kuala Lumpur and the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium

Overview of Kuala Lumpur from visitKL.gov.my.

Kuala Lumpur. A city that is truly one-of-a-kind. You'll find the world in this city but you'll never find anything quite like it anywhere else in the world.

For starters, KL (as its inhabitants fondly call it) has its very own global icon in the PETRONAS Twin Towers, soaring 452 metres above street level and 88 stories tall. This mega structure towers majestically over KL, presenting a universal view of the icon from any corner of the city. Just beneath the Twin Towers are Malaysia's best shopping spots, featuring haute couture brands to trendy street fashions. For those with a penchant for Broadway-like theatres, meet KL's talented acting community that brings you fine shows and performances from the traditional to the satirical. Partygoers will find KL's vibrant night scenes perfect to satiate their appetite for the most happening places to party.

But of course, if you yearn to experience the traditional old-world appeal of Malaysia's culture and values, the old streets of KL with its captivating day-to-day activities and aromatic smells will charm you. You'll experience this city, with the echoing music of its entertainment outlets, the beam of vehicle lights searching for the perfect late-night snack and colourful streetlights - a spectacle that proves KL is a definite place to visit for world travellers.

Here, we will show you the must-see destinations and must-do activities that will thrill you for sure. With so many places to go, a trip to KL may seem overwhelming. But to help, we've rounded up the best attractions that'll guide you in and around this amazing city.

To read more, click here

Other useful links Kuala Lumpur on Rough Guide: click here Kuala Lumpur on Lonely Planet: click here Kuala Lumpur official tourism site: click here

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About the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium

The Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium in Kuala Lumpur is one of the world’s most iconic hockey arenas. Built in readiness for the 1998 Commonwealth Games, the 12,000-capacity stadium has played host to numerous international matches and events including the FIH Men’s World Cup in 2002 and the FIH Men’s Champions Trophy in 2007. In readiness for the competition, the Malaysia Hockey Confederation (MHC) has laid a sparkling new turf, which will provide a stunning surface upon which the athletes will compete. The National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil was re-laid as part of an upgrade to the old pitches that were on the same site.

Address: National Hockey Stadium, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia.

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Competition Format

The FIH Series Final events will feature two pools comprising four participating teams followed by a knock-out phase. a. Pool phase

All of the competing teams in each pool will play against each other, with three points being awarded for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a loss. Teams will be ranked according to the number of points they have accumulated in the competition, providing the basis for the classification matches.

The pools were composed as follows based on the FIH World Ranking at the date when the match schedule was initially drafted.

Pool A Pool B 1 2 4 3 5 6 8 7

b. Ranking in the Pool

If at the end of the pool matches two or more teams have the same number of points for any place in a pool, teams will be ranked according to their respective number of matches won, followed by goal difference, goals scored and the result of the match played between the tied teams.

If more than two teams are involved, then a ranking based upon the results of the matches among (only) them shall determine their respective position, based upon the points awarded. If there still remains equality among two or more teams, then these teams will be ranked according to the number of field goals scored in the pool matches.

Should there still remain equality among two or more teams, then the ranking will be determined by a shoot-out competition between those teams. c. Classification matches

The winners of the pools will automatically qualify for the semi-finals. The teams that finish 4th in the pools will play for 7th and 8th places. The teams that finish 2nd and 3rd in the pools will play cross-over / quarter-final matches as follows, although not necessarily in this order.

2nd Pool A v 3rd Pool B Match 1 2nd Pool B v 3rd Pool A Match 2

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The winners of these matches will qualify for the semi-finals, while the losing teams will play for 5th and 6th places. The semi-finals will be as follows, although the matches will not necessarily be played in this order.

1st Pool A v Winner Match 2 1st Pool B v Winner Match 1

The winners of these matches will play for 1st and 2nd places (the final) and the losers will play for 3rd and 4th places.

The score at the end of the regulation time of any match will be registered by the FIH as the result of the match. If at the end of regulation time the result is a draw, in order to establish an outright winner of a classification match for the purpose of the competition, a shoot-out competition will be played to establish the winner.

Shoot-out competition

In a shoot-out competition, five players from each team take a one-on-one shoot-out alternately against a defender from the other team as set out in this Regulation. The shoot-out competition comprises all series of shoot-outs required to determine a result.

Taking a shoot-out:

• The goalkeeper / defending player starts on or behind the goal-line between the goal posts; • The ball is placed on the nearest 23m line opposite the centre of the goal. • An attacker stands outside the 23m area near the ball. • The Umpire blows the whistle to start time. • An official at the technical table starts the clock. • The attacker and the goalkeeper / defending player may then move in any direction. • The shoot-out is completed when: o 8 seconds has elapsed since the starting signal. o a goal is scored. o the attacker commits an offence. o the goalkeeper / defending player commits an unintentional offence inside or outside the circle in which case the shoot-out is re-taken by the same player against the same goalkeeper / defending player. o the goalkeeper / defending player commits an intentional offence inside or outside the circle, in which case a penalty stroke is awarded and taken. o the ball goes out of play over the back-line or side-line; this includes the goalkeeper / defending player intentionally playing the ball over the back-line.

• If a penalty stroke is awarded as specified above, it can be taken and defended by any eligible player named for the match in question.

If an equal number of goals are scored after each team has taken five shoot-outs:

• A second series of five shoot-outs is taken with the same players.

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• The sequence in which the attackers take the shoot-outs need not be the same as in the first series. • The team whose player took the first shoot-out in a series defends the first shoot-out of the next series; • When one team has scored or been awarded one more goal than the opposing team after each team has taken the same number of shoot-outs, not necessarily being all five shoot- outs, that team is the winner.

If an equal number of goals are scored after a second series of five shoot-outs, additional series of shoot-outs are taken with the same players:

• The sequence in which the attackers take the shoot-outs need not be the same in any subsequent series. • The team which starts each shoot-out series alternates for each series.

The above information has been taken from ‘Appendix 6 - Two Pool 8-Team Competition Plan and Ranking’ and ‘Appendix 8 – Shoot-Out Competition’ of the FIH Top Tier Tournament Regulations: Outdoor Competitions – February 2019. To download the document in full, click here.

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Match schedule

The official match schedule for the event in Kuala Lumpur, as of Tuesday 16 April 2019, can be found below. To keep track of any updates to the match schedule, please click the following link: https://tms.fih.ch/competitions/1049#matches

Match # Date/Time Details 1 26 Apr 2019 14:05 AUT v BLR (Pool A) 2 26 Apr 2019 16:05 CAN v WAL (Pool A) 3 26 Apr 2019 18:05 CHN v ITA (Pool B) 4 26 Apr 2019 20:05 MAS v BRA (Pool B) 5 27 Apr 2019 18:05 AUT v CAN (Pool A) 6 27 Apr 2019 20:05 WAL v BLR (Pool A) 7 28 Apr 2019 18:05 BRA v ITA (Pool B) 8 28 Apr 2019 20:05 CHN v MAS (Pool B) 9 29 Apr 2019 14:05 CAN v BLR (Pool A) 10 29 Apr 2019 16:05 WAL v AUT (Pool A) 11 29 Apr 2019 18:05 BRA v CHN (Pool B) 12 29 Apr 2019 20:05 MAS v ITA (Pool B) 13 1 May 2019 17:50 2nd Pool A v 3rd Pool B (Cross-over) 14 1 May 2019 20:05 2nd Pool B v 3rd Pool A (Cross-over) 15 2 May 2019 17:50 4th Pool A v 4th Pool B (7 / 8) 16 2 May 2019 20:05 Loser 13 v Loser 14 (5 / 6) 17 3 May 2019 17:50 1st Pool A v Winner 14 (SF) 18 3 May 2019 20:05 1st Pool B v Winner 13 (SF) 19 4 May 2019 17:50 Loser 17 v Loser 18 (3 / 4) 20 4 May 2019 20:05 Winner 17 v Winner 18 (Final) Subject to the approval of FIH, any match(es) may be rescheduled to accommodate commercial requirements. All times listed are local (GMT / UTC +8).

- Sequence of cross-over matches (13 and 14) will be finalised after completion of Pool matches

- Sequence of semi-final matches (17 and 18) will be finalised after completion of the cross-overs

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The Teams

You can find some general information about the competing teams below. Please be aware that, at the time of writing, the squad lists for this event were not finalised. To see complete and up-to-date squad lists for each competing team, click the following link: https://tms.fih.ch/competitions/1049#teams

A PDF download of the latest team lists can be found here: https://tms.fih.ch/competitions/1049/reports/teams

Pool A – Canada, Austria, Wales, Belarus

Canada Current FIH World Ranking: 10 How they qualified: Direct qualification due to ranking Notable honours: 4x Pan American Games gold medallists (1983, 1987, 1999, 2007), Pan American Cup gold medallists (2009), FIH Champions Challenge 1 silver medallists (2014), 8th Place – FIH Men’s World Cup (1998), 10th Place – Olympic Games (1976, 1984, 2000, 2008).

About the team: Currently sitting tenth in the FIH World Rankings, Canada are the highest ranked team competing in the FIH Men’s Series Finals event in Kuala Lumpur and will be regarded by many as competition favourites. Following their qualification for, and subsequent participation in, both the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the FIH Men’s World Cup 2018, the Red Caribou has set its sights on reaching the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, a journey that begins right here in Malaysia. Canadian teams of the past have always shown fighting spirit in abundance, something that has continued under the guidance of current head coach Paul Bundy. In addition to their never-say-die attitude and their excellent on-field organisation, they are also blessed with some outstanding players including influential midfielder Mark Pearson and team captain Scott Tupper, a high-class central defender and penalty corner expert. Whilst not confirmed at the time of writing, Pearson and Tupper are highly likely to be involved in Kuala Lumpur as Canada’s men aim to take another step along the Road to Tokyo.

TMS Team link: https://tms.fih.ch/teams/4964 Field Hockey Canada website: www.fieldhockey.ca Twitter: @FieldHockeyCan Facebook: FHCanada Instagram: FieldHockeyCan

Austria Current FIH World Ranking: 19 How they qualified: 1st Place: FIH Series Open – Zagreb, Croatia Notable honours: 1st Place – FIH Indoor World Cup (2018), 7th Place – Olympic Games (1952), 7th Place – EuroHockey Championships (2009, 2017).

About the team: In February of 2018, Austria’s men created history when they stunned host nation Germany in the final to win the FIH Indoor World Cup 2018, played in front of 8000 predominantly German fans at Berlin’s Max-Schmelling-Halle. It was a moment that will never be

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forgotten by the stars of Austrian hockey, although their collective attention is now firmly focussed on the outdoor game. Austria were in fine form at the FIH Series Open event in Zagreb, Croatia, storming to a first-place finish with 29 goals scored and just three conceded in their triumphs over Wales (3-0), Croatia (3-2), Switzerland (8-0) and Slovakia (15-1). Numerous members of Austria’s Indoor World Cup-winning team were present, including prolific striker Michael Körper – who scored 10 goals in four matches in Zagreb but looks set to miss the Series Finals event – brilliant midfielder Benjamin Stanzl and rising star Fabian Unterkircher, who was named Best Young Player last year in Berlin. Austria’s men last made an appearance at an Olympic Games in 1952, some 67 years ago. A top two finish in Kuala Lumpur would be a significant step towards bringing that lengthy wait to an end.

TMS Team link: https://tms.fih.ch/teams/4962 Website: https://www.hockey.at/ Twitter: @hockeyverband Facebook: @hockey.at

Wales Current FIH World Ranking: 24 How they qualified: 2nd Place: FIH Series Open – Zagreb, Croatia Notable honours: Bronze medallists – Olympic Games (1908), 7th Place – Commonwealth Games (2002), 3rd Place – EuroHockey Nations Trophy (2005, 2009), 2nd Place – EuroHockey Championship II (2017)

About the team: A second place finish behind Austria at the FIH Series Open in Zagreb, Croatia earned Wales a thoroughly deserved place in the FIH Series Finals. Victories over Slovakia (6-1), Switzerland (7-1) and Croatia (9-0) provided evidence of their quality, with the only black mark being a 3-0 loss at the hands of the event-winning Austrians. Penalty corner expert Gareth Furlong scored nine times for Wales in Croatia to finish second in the top scorers’ standings behind Austrian goal machine Michael Körper, with striker Ben Francis third thanks to six goals all from open play. If selected, Furlong and Francis could be key players in Kuala Lumpur, while versatile Great Britain international defender / midfielder Dan Kyriakides is another player of great influence. While the team coached by Zak Jones cannot qualify for the Olympic Games due to England being the nominated country for Great Britain’s qualification pathway, this talented group will be looking to claim as many ranking points as possible in a bid to climb the FIH World Rankings.

TMS Team link: https://tms.fih.ch/teams/4969 Website: http://www.hockeywales.org.uk Twitter: @HockeyWales Facebook: @HockeyWales

Belarus Current FIH World Ranking: 31 How they qualified: 3rd Place: FIH Series Open – Lousada, Portugal* Notable honours: 1st Place - EuroHockey Championship III (2017), 9th Place – EuroHockey Nations Championship (1995), 11th Place – FIH Men’s World Cup (1994).

About the team: A third place finish at the FIH Series Open even in Lousada, Portugal was not

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quite enough to seal automatic qualification for the FIH Series Finals events, with Russia and Scotland finishing ahead of the Belarussians. However, the unfortunate withdrawal of Vanuatu, winners of the FIH Series Open competition in Port Vila, proved to be good news for Belarus, who were awarded a ticket to the Kuala Lumpur Finals event. Aside from a 4-1 loss at the hands of Scotland, Belarus produced some very good performances in Lousada, drawing 2-2 with eventual winners Russia while also recording victories against hosts Portugal (2-1), Gibraltar (3-4) and Turkey (7-1). Belarus scored 15 times in the five matches in Lousada, with Aliaksandr Hancharou, Alexander Lukashik, Yauheni Mikheichyk, Uladzislau Belavusau, Ivan Lutsevich and veteran forward Ivan Kisialevich all scoring twice. The team is coached by Sergej Drozdov, who represented Belarus as a player at the 1994 FIH Men’s World Cup in Sydney, Australia.

TMS Team link: https://tms.fih.ch/teams/5080 Website: http://bfh.by Facebook: @BelarusHockeyFederation Instagram: hockeybelarus

* Following the withdrawal of Vanuatu (1st Place: FIH Series Open – Port Vila, Vanuatu), Belarus were given a berth in the FIH Series Finals.

Pool B – Malaysia, China, Brazil, Italy

Malaysia Current FIH World Ranking: 13 How they qualified: Direct qualification due to ranking Notable honours: 8th Place – Olympic Games (1972), 4th Place – FIH Men’s World Cup (1975), 6th Place – FIH Champions Trophy (1993), FIH Champions Challenge 1 bronze medallists (2014), Commonwealth Games silver medallists (1998), Asian Games silver medallists (2010, 2018), Asia Cup bronze medallists (2007), 4x Sultan Azlan Shah Cup silver medallists (1985, 2007, 2013, 2014).

About the team: Tournament hosts Malaysia will be determined to make the most of their home advantage and keep alive hopes of Olympic qualification with a strong performance at the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium. They are a team blessed with masses of world level experience, not to mention some gifted players in the shape of explosive attacker Faizal Saari and team captain Razie Rahim, who has been the centrepiece of the Malaysian defence for well over a decade. Faizal and Razie – both regular goal-scorers from penalty corner situations – are two of four players to have represented Malaysia over 200 times, with Marhan Jalil and veteran striker Tengku Tajuddin having also surpassed the milestone. Twenty-two-year-old attacker Aiman Rozemi has been in excellent form in recent months and could be a player to watch. The team is coached by legendary tactician Roelant Oltmans, the Dutchman who guided the Netherlands women to the title at the Sydney 1990 FIH World Cup before taking the Netherlands men to Olympic gold at Atlanta 1996 and glory at the Utrecht 1998 FIH World Cup. With Oltmans at the helm, Malaysia are in extremely capable hands and will be expected to shine on home soil in Kuala Lumpur.

TMS Team link: https://tms.fih.ch/teams/4967 Malaysian Hockey Confederation Website: http://mhc.org.my Twitter: @HockeyMalaysia Facebook: @MalaysianHockeyConfederation Instagram: malaysianhockeyconfederation

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China Current FIH World Ranking: 14 How they qualified: Direct qualification due to ranking Notable honours: 10th Place – FIH Men’s World Cup (2018), 11th place – Olympic Games (2008), Asian Games silver medallists (2006), 2x Asia Cup bronze medallists (1982, 2009)

About the team: China’s men have been making steady progress up the FIH World Rankings in recent years, and their performances at last year’s Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 certainly caught the eye and captured the imagination. The team started the competition as the lowest ranked team in Pool B and the second lowest ranked side in the entire event, but stunned all onlookers by claiming draws against two higher-ranked teams in the shape of eventual semi-finalists England (2-2) and Ireland (1-1) to progress into the knock-out stage and ultimately secure a tenth place finish. With the vast majority of China’s training squad being is under the age of 26, this is a team that is very much on the up and will feel capable of achieving great things in Kuala Lumpur. The team has some very talented players amongst their ranks, including skilful forward Guo Xiaoping, captain Du Chen and penalty corner ace Du Talake. A top two finish at this event would maintain China’s hopes of participating in a first Olympic Games since Beijing 2008, their only Olympic appearance to date.

TMS Team link: https://tms.fih.ch/teams/4965

Brazil Current FIH World Ranking: 27 How they qualified: 2nd Place: FIH Series Open – Santiago, Chile. Notable honours: 4th place – Pan American Games (2015), 5th Place – Pan American Cup (2017), 1st place – Pan America Challenge (2015), 3rd place – South American Games (2018), 12th Place – Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

About the team: Brazil secured a ticket to the FIH Series Finals thanks to a second-place finish at the FIH Series Open in Santiago, where host nation Chile finished top of the standings. Brazil went into that event as the highest ranked team in the competition, but a 3-2 victory for the Chileans in their meeting proved decisive. That being said, it was the only defeat that the Brazilians suffered in Santiago, earning convincing wins against Bolivia (22-0) and Peru (9-0) before battling to 3-1 triumphs over both Venezuela and Uruguay. Striker Lucas Paixão scored an incredible 14 field goals in Santiago, with penalty corner expert Matheus Borges netting eight and Joaquin Lopez seven for a Brazilian team that found the target 39 times in just five matches. With such firepower at their disposal, Brazil certainly have the potential to surprise the FIH World Rankings in Kuala Lumpur.

TMS Team link: https://tms.fih.ch/teams/4963 Brasil Hoquei website: http://hoqueisobregrama.com.br Twitter: @brasil_hoquei Instagram: brasil_hoquei

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Italy Current FIH World Ranking: 37 How they qualified: 2nd Place: FIH Series Open – Gniezno, Poland. Notable honours: 11th Place – Olympic Games (1952), 13th Place – FIH Men’s World Cup (1978), 9th Place – EuroHockey Championship (1987).

About the team: Italy upset the FIH World Rankings by achieving a second-place finish at the FIH Series Open in Gniezno, Poland, with the team ranked 37th in the world ending the competition ahead of the higher-ranked Ukraine (25) and Czech Republic (28). It was a fine achievement for the Azzurri, who went through the six-nation competition undefeated. Wins against Czech Republic (4-3), Lithuania (10-0) and Cyprus (15-0) combined with creditable draws with Ukraine (1-1) and event winners Poland (0-0) saw the Italians claim 11 points, two points behind Poland with 30 goals scored and just four conceded. Team captain Agustin Nunez top scored at the event for Italy with eight goals to his name, with Julian Montone (5), Thomas Keenan (4) and Pietro Lago (4) also making significant contributions. Despite being the lowest ranked team in the competition, Italy’s notable performances in Gniezno prove that they are a side that should not be underestimated.

TMS Team link: https://tms.fih.ch/teams/4966 Website: http://www.federhockey.it Twitter: @FIH_Italia Facebook: @fihfederazioneitalianahockey

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Competition officials

Appointment Name Country Appointed By Technical Delegate AKPOKAVIE Richard GHA FIH Technical Official APPOO Ramesh SGP FIH Technical Official FENNER Juriah MAS FIH Technical Official KLEIN NAGELVOORT Erik NED FIH Technical Official TANMANEE Palita THA FIH FIH Medical Officer GEMMING John (Dr.) NZL FIH Umpires Manager GARNETT Sarah NZL FIH Umpires Manager YAKUB Shiraz KEN FIH Umpire AL BALUSHI Saleh OMA FIH Umpire BERNETH Johannes GER FIH Umpire De YOUNG Ben AUS FIH Umpire DIAZ GARCIA Reinier CUB FIH Umpire DOWDALL Dave ENG FIH Umpire GARCIA Federico URU FIH Umpire KANABATHU Ilanggo MAS FIH Umpire MICHIELSEN Sébastien BEL FIH Umpire ROMERO Hugo PAR FIH Umpire WATANABE Michihiko JPN FIH

Any changes to the list of competition officials will be available here: https://tms.fih.ch/competitions/1049#officials

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Event Logo

You can download the event logo by clicking here.

Event Photography

Please be informed that the official social media pages (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) of the Malaysian Hockey Confederation will upload five (5) action photos during halftime of every match, with further photos added at the end of the game.

All uploaded photos will be free of watermarks, allowing members of the media to download and use for their respective news agency. Whilst these images are available for use without charge, it is essential that credit is given to ‘Malaysian Hockey Confederation’ when used.

For media working onsite, if you wish to request any match photos please ask for guidance from the local media officer who will do all they can to assist.

Malaysian Hockey Confederation Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/MalaysianHockeyConfederation/

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FIH World Rankings

The top 30 ranked teams in the world can be found below. The complete men’s and women’s FIH Hero World Rankings can be found here: http://www.fih.ch/rankings/outdoor/

Top 30 – Men WORLD RANK COUNTRY CF CURRENT POINTS 1 Belgium EUR 2246 2 Australia OCE 2231 3 Netherlands EUR 2079 4 Argentina PAN 1908 5 India ASI 1765 6 Germany EUR 1681 7 England EUR 1551 8 New Zealand OCE 1228 9 Spain EUR 1133 10 Canada PAN 1067 11 Ireland EUR 1030 12 Pakistan ASI 1028 13 Malaysia ASI 953 14 China ASI 843 15 France EUR 839 16 South Africa AFR 765 17 Korea ASI 740 18 Japan ASI 675 19 Austria EUR 638 20 Egypt AFR 618 21 Poland EUR 552 22 Russia EUR 503 23 Scotland EUR 484 24 Wales EUR 433 25 United States PAN 404 26 Ukraine EUR 398 27 Brazil PAN 341 28 Chile PAN 322 29 Czech Republic EUR 320 30 Switzerland EUR 314

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Top 30 - Women WORLD RANK COUNTRY CF CURRENT POINTS 1 Netherlands EUR 2550 2 England EUR 1856 3 Australia OCE 1850 4 Argentina PAN 1790 5 Germany EUR 1601 6 New Zealand OCE 1525 7 Spain EUR 1451 8 Ireland EUR 1380 9 India ASI 1188 10 China ASI 1178 11 Korea ASI 1151 12 USA PAN 1074 13 Belgium EUR 1045 14 Japan ASI 1018 15 South Africa AFR 893 16 Chile PAN 890 17 Italy EUR 816 18 Scotland EUR 598 19 Czech Republic EUR 534 20 Belarus EUR 529 21 Canada PAN 528 22 Malaysia ASI 514 23 Poland EUR 486 24 Uruguay PAN 439 25 Russia EUR 436 26 Ukraine EUR 402 27 Wales EUR 400 28 Thailand ASI 330 29 Mexico PAN 315 30 France EUR 298

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