IANS
Chennai, Sep 1: Nine of the 12 spots for the men's World Cup hockey tournament to be held in Delhi from Feb 28 to March 13 next year have been decided, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) said Tuesday.
India, who had finished a poor 11th at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, gained automatic qualification as the hosts, according to a statement from the FIH.
The other teams who have booked their slots for the 2010 World Cup are: Canada, South Korea, South Africa, Australia, England, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain.
The other three spots would be decided after the qualifying tournaments in Lille (France -- Oct 31-Nov 8), Ivercargill (New Zealand - Nov 7-15) and Quilmes (Argentina - Nov 14-22).
In all, 18 teams will contest for the three spots and the contenders include Pakistan, Poland, China, Malaysia, Belgium and Argentina.