The Jharkhand capital will host the Women's FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers between January 13 and 19, 2024, the second international event in the city in two months.
Hockey India general secretary Bholanath Singh said they would be happy to host the event after conducting the Jharkhand Women's Asian Hockey Champions Trophy 2023 that begins in Ranchi on Friday.
"Besides India, women's hockey teams from seven more nations from across the globe will participate in the Olympic qualifiers, to be played at the local Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Stadium," Singh told The Telegraph.
The top three among those would earn a direct entry to the Paris Olympics, 2024.
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) shifted the venue of the qualifiers from Changzhou (China) and awarded it to India as the Chinese women's hockey team has already earned a direct entry to Olympics by becoming winners in Asian Games in Hangzhou in their country, Singh said.
Other qualifiers (for men) will be held in Muscat (Oman) during January 15-21, 2024, and Valencia (Spain), for both men and women, during January 13-21, 2024.
Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren said: "It would be an honour to welcome the global hockey fraternity to Ranchi. Hosting the event will solidify Jharkhand's position as a growing sports hub in the country."
Authorities explained why the event was important for the country as far as women's hockey went.
"The qualifiers will provide a chance to our Indian women's hockey team to secure a berth in the Olympics as the team missed the gold in Hangzhou (Asian Games) and had to be satisfied with a bronze," Manoj Konbegi, Hockey Jharkhand vice-president, said.
The Indian men's hockey team has already earned a direct entry to the Paris 2024 Olympics by winning gold at Hangzhou Asian Games, the Hockey India general secretary added.
Indian men’s hockey team registered an emphatic 5-1 win against defending champion Japan to reclaim the Asian Games title in Hangzhou on October 6 this year.
The Jharkhand Women's Asian Champions Trophy 2023 will see six teams from as many nations — Japan, China, Korea, Malaysia and Thailand, besides host India — vie for the title in the event to be held in Ranchi from October 27 to November 5.
"The Japanese team has reached here today (Sunday)," Singh said on Sunday afternoon.
The rest of the teams will be in Ranchi latest by Tuesday, he added.
