The inaugural edition of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Hockey Nations Cup 2 (men) will be staged in Muscat, Oman from February 17 to 23 next year. This new event will give the opportunity for eight more nations – ie, the national teams ranked after those involved in the FIH Hockey Pro League and the FIH Hockey Nations Cup – to play an intercontinental FIH tournament, and compete for the chance to be promoted into the 2026 FIH Nations Cup, said a press release. The creation of this new event follows one of the key focus areas of the FIH Empowerment and Engagement strategy – namely “More opportunities to compete” – that aims at facilitating the accessibility of National Associations to FIH tournaments. The participating teams for this event include Austria, Chile, China, Egypt, Oman, Poland, Scotland and USA. “Hosting the inaugural FIH Nations Cup 2 in Oman is both an honor and a testament to our commitment to advancing hockey in the region. We are thrilled to welcome teams and fans from around the world to experience Oman’s passion for this sport. This tournament marks a significant milestone for Hockey Oman, and we look forward to an exciting display of talent and sportsmanship on our home ground”, said Hockey Oman Chairman Dr. Marwan Juma Al Juma.