On Thursday 24 January, the Royal Dutch Hockey Federation (KNHB) organised the first press conference regarding the Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014. The tournament will take place from 31 May until 15 June 2014 at the Kyocera Stadium of ADO Den Haag. During the Hockey World Cup The Hague will become the hockey capital of the world and thus the heart of all activities. It will be a worldwide sporting event, combining attention to international developments and cultural integration by means of sport, music and food.
Let’s celebrate hockey!
In June 2014, the best men’s and women’s hockey players in the world will come to the Netherlands for the Hockey World Cup. 24 teams (women and men) from around 15 different countries of five continents will play matches over 14 days of competition, with the Dutch national teams playing at prime time every single day. As well as 76 top-level matches, there will also be plenty of activities off the field of play. There will be a promo-village called Hockey Park, live music-performances, culinary surprises and a diversity of Side Events, all of which will make the party complete. Important pillars of this tournament are: the link with social and cultural objectives, international transfer of knowledge and the development of hockey as a sport.
An element of the press conference was the revelation of the tournament identity. A choice has been made for a house style that is recognisable, attractive and flexible, that radiates more than just hockey and that is fully in-sync with a fantastic international hockey feast: Let’s celebrate hockey!
Collaboration
The tournament is organised by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and the KNHB in collaboration with the City of The Hague, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS), ADO Den Haag, and partners, sponsors and suppliers of the KNHB.
Rabobank, the title sponsor, plays an important part in this event. This financial service provider has been a loyal partner of the KNHB for more than 15 years. It is with their support that the KNHB is able to host the Hockey World Cup in the Netherlands. “We are convinced that the Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014 will be a huge success, as it was in 1998 when the double World Cup took place in the Galgenwaard Stadium in Utrecht”, said Sipko Schat, member of the Executive Board of Rabobank Nederland. “We are pleased with the choice for the Kyocera Stadium, since it is a modern stadium, well situated for all activities and offering space to festivities for 20,000 people every day. We gladly support this event which every hockey player in the Netherlands will enjoy.”
Another important collaboration is with the media partners. Together with the NOS, Sanoma and the Infostrada Sports Group a multi-media platform is created, focussing on interaction with hockey fans all over the world. It is expected that over 100 million viewers in 120 countries will follow the tournament via television and the internet. An important part of this multi-media platform is the Second Screen, the Hockey Tracker. Through this application it is possible to follow extensive live statistics of the match. Furthermore, it is also possible to review moments of play from different camera angles. This is totally unique, being developed especially for the Rabobank Hockey World Cup.
Leandro Negre, President of the International Hockey Federation (FIH), said: “The FIH is very excited about the upcoming 2014 World Cup in The Hague. Every tournament in the Netherlands enjoys amazing fan support and is always a well organised, unforgettable experience. Once again the KNHB is taking things to the next level, especially with the online digital media platform that will put hockey on the cutting edge of Olympic sports and will give the fans a new and interactive experience during the World Cup.”
Hockey Park
The Hockey Park has many facilities and it goes without saying that it is has an excellent accessibility both by car and public transportation. Next to the Kyocera Stadium, which offers seating for 15,000 spectators, the GreenFields Stadium is built with a capacity of 5,000 seats. Both inside and outside the stadiums there are plenty of catering facilities and various places of entertainment.
GreenFields artificial-grass fields
The choice for the Hockey World Cup field is made in consultation with the parties involved, keeping into consideration the different interests. In collaboration with the Royal Ten Cate plc, a partner of the KNHB, research has been done on the artificial-grass system that will meet everyone’s wishes. A test-field from GreenFields, a daughter-company of the Royal Ten Cate plc, has recently been installed at H.C. Klein Zwitserland. The construction and the field playability have been closely monitored and have already resulted in an evaluation and some adjustments in order to create the ideal Hockey World Cup field.
The Hague
The Municipality of The Hague hosts the Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014. The Hague has an international, political and cultural character and besides being a large hockey-city it is also logistically interesting. In collaboration with the city of The Hague and in honour of the Hockey World Cup also plenty of activities will take place in the town itself. Karsten Klein, the The Hague alderman responsible for sports, is enthusiastic about the Hockey World Cup coming to The Hague.
“The Hague is honoured to host the Hockey World Cup in 2014”, said Mr Klein. “It will not only be a wonderful event for all top-athletes who participate in the tournament, but for all citizens of The Hague will profit from the Hockey World Cup. Throughout the entire city there will be small-scale street tournaments and hockey-clinics. And just as London did during the Olympics The Hague's volunteers will give visitors a warm welcome.”
More information on the tournament, ticket sales and the organisation itself can be found on www.rabobankhockeyworldcup2014.com
Source: KNHB Media Release.
