ISLAMABAD: Hero FIH Hockey5s Lausanne 2022, the first-ever senior World Hockey5s event will take place in less than one month, on June 4 and 5, this year in Lausanne, the International Hockey Federation said on its website on Wednesday.

In addition to a thrilling competition with some of the powerhouses of international hockey (women: Switzerland, India, Poland, South Africa and Uruguay; men: Switzerland, India, Malaysia, Pakistan and Poland), the event also aims at enabling everyone to discover and practice the sport, with an initiation offered to the public throughout both days.

“And since hockey is a big family, even the players of the flagship ice hockey club of the Vaud city — the Lausanne Hockey Club (LHC) — will be there and will come to compete for an exhibition match at a local and international selection of [field] hockey players,” the FIH said.

Hockey5s is played with five athletes per team. It is particularly known for its non-stop action, since the ball is in play for about 90% of a match, thanks to perimeter boards placed against the outside of the side-lines and back-lines. There are usually more goals with Hockey5s than with the more traditional 11-a-side format of hockey, since players can score from anywhere in the attacking half. The match duration is shorter, with two halves of 10 minutes each.

Precisely, Hero FIH Hockey5s Lausanne 2022 will be staged on the Place de la Navigation, an iconic location near the Lac Lman bordering the Olympic Capital, where a 500-seat stadium will be built specifically for the occasion. FIH Global Supplier Polytan will deliver the first prototype non-watered turf for elite hockey.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2022