Brazil gets Dutch help ahead of Rio Games

Brazil gets Dutch help ahead of Rio Games
Doha:  Brazilian hockey teams are in a race to be worthy participants for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The Rio 2016 Games may come to represent a milestone in the history of Brazilian hockey. With an active national hockey team since 1998, the country is working hard in order to make their debut on the Olympic pitch in Rio de Janeiro.
The south American country cannot automatically qualify as hosts for the Rio de Janeiro Games but have to make it through the qualifying process set by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).
FIH established goals for Brazil’s national teams, which, if achieved, will be rewarded with an Olympic place. Regarding the men’s competition, the national team coached by Claudio Rocha must be among the top 30 in the ranking to qualify. Currently, it is number 33.
In the women’s section, the Brazilians must stay in the top number 40 in the international ranking. The team coached by Eduardo Martins is currently at 41.
The Netherlands, hosts of the 2014 World Cup for men and women, will be lending a helping hand for the five-time football World Cup winning country in their pursuit to qualify for the home Games.
“Their (Brazil’s) goal is to reach a level which will help them to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. As host city they cannot qualify for the Games,” said Lex Donia, an official of the FIH Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014 organising Committee.
“We will contribute substantially to the development of hockey sport in Brazil under the FIH Development Programme. Brazil has only a limited number of pitches, players and clubs. A tournament is held each year to select the national team players.
The goal Donia said was to bring the sport to the attention of more Brazilians and to get more people to support the national teams in hockey.
Netherlands, have won the hockey world cup thrice, two times when they hosted it. The first time in 1973 in Amsterdam city and in 1998 in Utrecht.
The third world title came their way in 1990 in Lahore, Pakistan.
The Dutch have also won the Olympic gold medal twice at the 1992 Games in United States and eight years later in Australia. They also finished as runners-up in the last edition in London two years back and also in 2004 in Greece.  In 2008 they came fourth.               


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