September 15, 2006	Friday	Sha'aban 21, 1427

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NEW DELHI, Sept 14: Former champions India hope to make up for their deteriorating field hockey standards by hosting the World Cup in 2010, an official said on Thursday. “We are very keen to host the next World Cup because it will give the sport a boost in the country,” Indian Hockey Federation secretary K. Jothikumaran told AFP.The bid follows India's disastrous campaign in the ongoing World Cup in Monchengladbach, Germany where the eight-time Olympic champions lost four of their five league matches and drew one.

India, who finished last in group B with one point, will compete this weekend over the bottom four places in the 12-nation tournament.

International Hockey Federation (FIH) president Els van Breda Vriesman was quoted in Indian media reports on Thursday as saying India stood a good chance of hosting the next World Cup.

“India have showed interest in hosting the tournament and we in the FIH also support their bid,” Vriesman was quoted as saying in Monchengladbach.

“India stands a good chance when the next host is decided at the FIH Congress in November,” she said, without naming the other contenders.

Jothikumaran said the host city will be finalised only after India's bid is accepted by the FIH.

“We have cities like Chennai, Hyderabad and New Delhi which can successfully host the World Cup,” he said.

“The infrastructure is in place and there are very good hotels. Our Premier Hockey League attracts around 30,000 spectators and there will be a lot of interest in the World Cup.”

India, who won the field hockey World Cup in Kuala Lumpur in 1975, hosted the event in Mumbai in 1982, the last international competition played on grass before the sport changed to artificial surfaces.

India is also scheduled to host the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and has bid for its third Asian Games in 2014.—AFP