Dunedin's international summer of hockey just got bigger.
India are the latest team to be heading to the McMillan Centre after Hockey New Zealand confirmed yesterday the world No 10 side would be joining the upcoming international women’s series.
They will join New Zealand, ranked ninth in the world, Japan (No 11), the United States (No 12) and Korea (No 16) as the international sides playing in the tournament.
A New Zealand A side has also been added to the expanded January event.
It will be the first Black Sticks women’s action in Dunedin since 2007, although they played in Cromwell in 2018.
The tournament, hosted in partnership with the Dunedin City Council and the Otago Hockey Association, will now start on Sunday, January 18 with round robin games and wrap up with a finals day on Sunday, January 25.
"This is an incredible opportunity for Dunedin sports fans," Hockey New Zealand chief executive Michelle Hollands said.
"Adding India — one of the world’s most passionate hockey nations — and creating space for our NZA side to go head to head with leading international teams is a huge win for the sport and for our community.
"It means more competition, more development and more unforgettable moments for fans."
The McMillan Centre had a significant upgrade, led by the council, last year, the playing surfaces being replaced with the same Olympic-grade turf used in Paris.
• The New Zealand men had another strong performance, beating Canada 4-2 in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup on Wednesday night.
The Black Sticks, who are undefeated after three rounds, battled through hot and dry conditions, the game being brought forward by two hours due to weather concerns in Malaysia.
George Baker bagged a brace of goals, flicking in field goals in the 16th and 32nd minute, Sam Lane added a penalty corner on 20 minutes and Isaac Houlbrooke added a field goal a minute before Baker’s final shot.
They were back in action overnight against world No 7 India. — Allied Media
