MONCHENGLADBACH, Sept 14: A field hockey academy will join golf, tennis and football at Dubai Sports City in 2008. “We expect the 5,000 seat capacity stadium will be completed by early 2008 and be built to the standards of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and incorporate a sports medicine system in a world class facility,” said U. Balasubramaniam, CEO of Dubai Sports City.

The World Hockey Academy will take its place alongside the Manchester United Soccer School, Butch Harmon's School of Golf, David Lloyds' Tennis Academy and the Rod Marsh directed ICC Global Cricket Academy in Dubai Sports City.

The challenge for Dubai Sports City will be to attract a high profile director to the academy.

One man in the frame for the post is Richard Charlesworth, a qualified doctor who coached Australia's women's hockey team from 1993 to 2000, winning Olympic and World Cup gold twice and four successive Champions Trophies.

“They are talking to me,” he confirmed.

“I insisted the academy be available for both men and women,” Els van Breda Vriesman, FIH president, said at the World Cup Championship here on Thursday.

Van Breda Vriesman said the FIH would be responsible for the academy's planning and that the FIH youth camps held all over Europe would be resited to Dubai.

“National teams preparing for international events can prepare in Dubai as it is conveniently placed between the Europe and Asia,” van Breda Vriesman added.

“Some international FIH events will also be planned there.”—AFP