Andrés de Witt, president of Chile's Field Hockey Federation, revealed talks with the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to host the 2030 World Cup. This comes days before the Women's Junior World Cup starts in Santiago from December 1 to 13. De Witt emphasized the infrastructure legacy from the Pan American Games and the goal of qualifying a team for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Chile is set to host the Women's Junior Field Hockey World Cup for the fourth time, from December 1 to 13 at the Claudia Schüler complex in the National Stadium. The event will feature 24 teams for the first time, with Chile grouped alongside the Netherlands, Japan, and Malaysia. "It is an honor to close this year of major sporting events in the country," De Witt stated.
The leader credited the organizational success to the legacy of the 2023 Pan American Games, which provided "fabulous" infrastructure. "We never had it before, and that is already a base and starting point to dream of hosting events and bringing the world's top teams to our home," he said. He also highlighted the institutional vision: a board that thinks big, professional management, and passion for the sport, building on predecessors like Sebastián Wenz and Walter Krämer, with progress under Cachito Vigil and Alfredo Castro, who achieved historic World Cup qualifications.
Looking ahead, De Witt aims for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics: "We want to take a team to the Olympic Games. That is a dream. The top 12 in the world go, and by ranking we have been there in the women's case." For men, the challenge is greater due to intense competition.
The boldest announcement is the bid for the 2030 World Cup. "We are in conversations with the FIH, but those are big words. Hosting a World Cup, whether women's or men's. We are talking about amounts of 3-4 million dollars," he explained. They will compete with powerhouses like India, Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands, but seek partnerships with Argentina and Uruguay to bring the event to South America. Tickets are available on Feverup, priced from $5,000 to $25,000, with season passes between $30,000 and $60,000.