Reuters

New Delhi, Nov 8: India has been provisionally awarded the right to stage the 2010 men's World Cup hockey championship in its capital.

International Hockey Federation (FIH) president Els van Breda Vriesman said on Wednesday India has been asked to meet certain targets by March before the world governing body gave final confirmation.

“We are delighted to be back in India with the World Cup for the first time since 1982,” she told a news conference.

“The improvement of Indian hockey is critical for the sport's future, both in India and internationally.”

The fortnight-long championship would be staged in February at New Delhi's National Stadium, which would be ready by then to stage the Commonwealth Games scheduled for October 2010.

The championship is seen as part of the FIH's bid to halt the slide of the former eight-times Olympic champions and also tap into India's booming economy for sponsors.

India was the unanimous choice at the world body's executive meeting which began in New Delhi on Wednesday, Van Breda Vriesman said.

The Indian hockey team won their last Olympic gold in Moscow in 1980 when the field was depleted due to a US-led boycott.

They failed to win a medal at the Asian Games for the first time when they were fourth in Doha in 2006 and now need to win a qualifying tournament in Chile in March to get into the Beijing Olympics.