Argentina

Argentina was assigned by the International Hockey Federation to host the 2004 Women’s Champions Trophy in 2002. The delegate of the FIH, the Australian Dennis Meredith, visited the host city Rosario last October. Even tough he had a very good impression of the city installations for receiving such an important event; he didn’t like what he saw in the field of the Jockey Club. Meredith warned about a problem in some parts of the field where the championship will take place that would be decisive for changing the host club.

Planet Field Hockey talked to the Argentinean Hockey Confederation president César Blanco about this matter. Blanco said “we are working on this problem the field of the Jockey Club Rosario has these days. We are trying to arrange all the installations for holding the tournament at this club”.

“The FIH delegate made an objection about the carpet, so we are trying to amend this”, continued Blanco. “Meredith came to Rosario to see everything that concerns to the Champions Trophy from the accommodation for all the people of the FIH to the organization of the championship. He could see the whole infrastructure is ok. The only thing that he didn’t approve was the field”.

The Jockey Club Rosario’s carpet has a little problem in the joints of its different parts. The company Forbex that is responsible for the field maintenance promised to the Argentinean Confederation that the inconvenient will be fixed by the end of December. The next and crucial Meredith’s second visit will be next January. By that time the FIH will decide whether the carpet conditions are good enough to receive the Champions Trophy. Blanco is not pessimistic about it and commented “he hope we can solve it and we can make the championship there”.

The La Tablada Club’s hockey field in the city of Córdoba is the second chance in case the Jockey Club of Rosario doesn’t pass the check up. “La Tablada is one of the possibilities we are seeing if the repair to the Jockey field doesn’t work. We will evaluate which is the more convenient choice”. La Tablada is the place where “The Leonas” (the Argentinean women), the Netherlands, Germany and South Korea will play the Four Nations Tournament in February 2004.

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