Lausanne, Switzerland: From 25 October to 4 November, Hockey will be played at the Pan American Games 2023 in Chile, with the stakes going beyond the gold, silver and bronze medals, as the winners will join France (men and women), Australia (men and women), Netherlands (men and women), India (men) and China (women) in securing direct qualification to the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
A total of 8 teams will compete at the Pan American Games in each of men’s and women’s Hockey. The 8 teams have been placed into two pools of 4 teams each. At the end of the pool stage the two highest ranking teams in each pool will proceed to the semi-finals, while the bottom two teams will play crossovers to classify between 5-8 positions.
The teams that win the gold medals at the Pan American Games 2023 will seal their berths at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The teams classifying 2nd and 3rd in the men’s competition and the teams classifying from 2nd to 4th in the women’s competition will get a second opportunity to qualify for the Olympics, at the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2024.
In the men’s competition, Pool A comprises Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Peru, while Brazil, Canada, Trinidad & Tobago and United States will compete in Pool B. The men’s matches get underway on 25 October with Canada taking on Brazil in the opening encounter at 09:30 (local time). All the classification matches, including the medal matches, for the men’s event will be played on 3 November. The complete schedule for the men’s competition can be found here.
Men’s Hockey will be played in the Pan American games for the 15th time in 2023. Argentina are the most successful men’s team in the history of the competition having won the gold medal on 10 occasions along with 4 silver medals. Canada is the only other nation to have won gold in men’s hockey at the Pan American Games, winning it on 4 occasions, with their latest success coming at the 2007 Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Tariq Marcano, a veteran of the Trinidad & Tobago team, speaking in the lead up to the event said: “Ideally, we want to qualify for the Olympics in France next year, but first, we must reach a mental and physical state where we can compete with players from Argentina (former Olympic champions), Canada, and Chile. Personally, matching or surpassing our best result, 4th place in the 2007 Pan American Games, will be a tough task, but in my opinion, it’s possible if we as a team truly believe we can.”
In the women’s competition, Pool A comprises Argentina, Trinidad & Tobago, United States and Uruguay, while Canada, Chile, Cuba and Mexico will compete in Pool B. The women’s matches will get underway on 26 october with Argentina taking on Uruguay in the opening contest at 09:30 (local time). All the classification matches, including the medal matches, for the women’s event will be played on 4 November. The complete schedule for the women’s competition can be found here.
Women’s Hockey will be played in the Pan American games for the 10th time in 2023. Argentina are the most successful women’s team in the history of the competition having won the gold medal on 7 occasions along with 2 silver medals. United States is the only other nation to have won gold in women’s hockey at the Pan American Games, winning it on 2 occasions, with their latest success coming at the 2015 Games in Toronto, Canada.
Agostina Alonso, one of the team captains of the reigning champions Argentina, speaking ahead of the Pan American Games said: “It’s not pressure to be defending champions or always aiming for a podium. We want to win because of the commitment we put in every week, the effort, because we train a lot to reach the highest level and secure qualification. It’s a motivation. We know the history of the jersey and the medals it has, but we want to write our own story, respecting the years before.”
A total of 12 teams, in each of the men’s and women’s categories, will compete in Hockey at the Olympic Games. Hosts France have gained direct qualification. Australia (men and women) were winners of the Oceania Cup, which sealed their qualification, while Netherlands (men and women) qualified as the European champions. Indian men and Chinese women clinched their spots at the Olympics through their gold medal victories at the Asian Games. Apart from the winners of the Pan American Games 2023, winners of the continental championships in Africa will also gain direct qualification to the upcoming Olympic Games. The FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2024, which will be held in January 2024, provide a second opportunity for teams to qualify for the remaining 6 spots at the Olympic Games.
