Rio to stage Olympic Hockey Test Event

Rio de Janeiro, Nov 24: Eight teams from seven nations in the Americas will take part in the official Rio 2016 hockey test event beginning on Tuesday. In the men’s tournament, hosts Brazil – ranked 32 in the world – will face Chile (ranked 25), Trinidad and Tobago (33) and Mexico (35), reports Xinhua.

The Brazilian women’s team, who are ranked 41, will play host to Barbados (48), Paraguay (55) and Peru (65). The teams will meet each other in a round robin before the medal matches are staged on Saturday.

International Hockey Federation (IHF) sport director David Luckes said the event – also known as the Aquece Rio International Hockey Championship – will provide an ideal chance for the organisers to fine-tune the venue at Deodoro Olympic Park.

“This event will allow us to resolve any small issues and recommend any improvements with a view to making this a world-class venue not only for next year’s Olympics, but beyond, with legacy a key factor in this venue’s construction,” Luckes told Rio2016.com on Monday.

Rio will also stage the Olympic badminton and canoe slalom test events this week. (IANS)