4th JUNIOR WORLD CUP (WOMEN).
Buenos Aires, 14-26 May 2001.
 Groups:
Pool A: China - France - Netherlands - U.S.A..
Pool B: Australia - Chile - Germany - Ukraine.
Pool C: Argentina - South Africa - Spain - Wales.
Pool D: Canada - England - Korea - Russia.
 Reserve countries: 1 India, 2 Barbados.

7th JUNIOR WORLD CUP (MEN).
Hobart (AUS), 9-21 October 2001.
 Groups:
Pool A: Australia - Chile - England - Ireland OR Africa 2.
Pool B: Africa 1 - France - Korea - Netherlands.
Pool C: Canada - India - Scotland - Spain.
Pool D: Argentina - Germany - Malaysia - New Zealand.
Reserve countries: 1 Ireland (if Africa 2 qualifies) OR Japan (if Ireland qualifies); 2.Japan (if Africa 2 qualifies) OR U.S.A. (if Ireland qualifies).
Africa 1 and Africa 2 will be respectively the winner and the 2nd ranked country in the 7th Africa Cup (26 March-1 April, 2001). Africa 2 will only qualify if 5 or more countries take part in that competition.

WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS.
The final entries and pools for the 2001 Men's and Women's World Cup Qualifiers will be announced early in 2001.

10th Men's World Cup Qualifier - Edinburgh (ECO) - 17/29 July 2001:
Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Egypt, France, India, Japan, Poland, Russia, Scotland, Spain, USA, Wales, Zimbabwe + One. (Seven to qualify for World Cup)
The 16th country, as well as the reserve countries, remain to be identified.

10th Women's World Cup Qualifier (Amiens/Abbeville (FRA) 18/31 September 2001.

INDOOR WORLD CUP.
 The decision has been taken, in principle, to hold and Indoor World Cup for men and women in 2003. National Associations and the European Hockey Federation will be asked for input.

POOL FORMAT.
The four pools of four team format (4x4) will be monitored during the Women's Junior World Cup in Argentina and the Women's World Cup Qualifier in Scotland by special investigative panels. The panels will be headed by
FIH Board members, Sue Neill in Buenos Aires and Peter Crane in Scotland.

CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE.
South Africa's men's team will be added to the teams qualified for the lst. Champions Challenge in 2001 subject to the Indian Hockey Confederation accepting more teams. South Africa were denied a place in the Sydney Olympic Games by their National Olympic Committee and thus lost the opportunity for automatic qualification for the Champions Challenge.

TECHNICAL DIRECTORS:
The following TD's have been appointed:
 Men:
Junior World Cup:    Peter Paul Lathouwers (Ned).
World Cup Qualifier:    Roger Self (Eng).
Champions Trophy:      Bob Davidson (Ned).
Champions Challenge:    Ken Read (Aus).
Sultan Azlan Shah Trophy: Peter Cohen (Aus).
 Women:
Junior World Cup:  Bev Johnson (USA).
World Cup Qualifier: Claire Monseu-Peeters (Bel).
Champions Trophy:  Merle Sterley (RSA).
Champions Challenge: Marianne Kooijman (Ned).

AFRO-ASIAN GAMES.
 The Afro-Asian Games, to be held in New Delhi (Ind)(Nov 3-11, 2001) will comprise the top four men's and women's teams from both Africa and Asia.

COMMONWALTH GAMES.
 The 2002 Commonwealth Games (Manchester, Eng) will comprise 8 teams in both the men's and women's competitions. The eight countries will be hosts (Eng) and holders (Australia) plus one country from each of the six Commonwealth regions, the Caribbean being the sixth region.

 MAJOR TOURNAMENT QUALIFICATION.
 The Competitions Committee is to investigate whether the present basis of qualification for major tournaments is fair and equitable. In particular queries have been raised about the anomaly of Oceania, a small continent in terms of active hockey playing countries but with two strong national associations. ???

THIRD UMPIRE.
 The use of television assistance (i.e. a third umpire) is being investigated for crucial decisions. The giant screen used at the Sydney Olympics is believed to be a great plus for spectators.

STALEMATES.
 The penalty shoot-outs in the final men's matches at the Sydney Olympics, which benefitted the Netherlands but was a mortal blow to Australia and Korea, has raised the question of whether there could be a better method of ending a stalemate. Australia has a successful recipe for ending their national hockey league games. National associations will be asked to comment.

MAJOR TOURNAMENT BIDDING.
 An investigation is to be launched into bidding proceedures and incentives to bidders for major tournaments.

EVENTS COMMITTEE.
 The Competitions Committee will be known as the Competitions/Events Committee after the approval of the new FIH Statutes. It will have broader terms of reference to encompass the concept of eventing and all aspects of tournaments.

WORLD YOUTH FESTIVAL.
 The World Youth Festival, scheduled for Poland in 2002, will be arranged if the European HF's youth programme can be dove-tailed with other continents.