Mumbai: The draw for the hockey competition at the upcoming 33rd Olympic Games in Paris has placed India, the bronze medallist from the Tokyo Olympics, in a formidable Pool B. The group includes defending champion Belgium, World No.5 Australia, and No.7 seed Argentina. New Zealand and Ireland complete the six-team Pool B. In the 12-team competition, Pool A features the Netherlands, World Champion Germany, Great Britain, Spain, hosts France, and South Africa.
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced the pool allocations based on the FIH World Rankings as of January 21, following the completion of the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers. India, ranked third in the latest FIH World Rankings, finds itself in Pool B, where the top four teams will qualify for the quarterfinal stage on August 4. The semifinals are scheduled for August 6, and the finals will be played on August 8.
For the women’s competition, defending champions the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Japan, China, and France are grouped in Pool A. Pool B comprises Australia, Argentina, Great Britain, Spain, the United States, and South Africa.
A total of 12 teams per gender have qualified for the Olympic Games, either as hosts, winners of their Continental Qualifier, or top three finishers of their FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier. The composition of the pools sets the stage for intense and competitive hockey battles at the Paris 2024 Olympics.