Lausanne (Switzerland), Dec 11 : The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has approved the qualification system for both womenâ??s and menâ??s hockey tournaments at the next Olympic Games that will take place in Los Angeles, USA, in 2028. This is an important milestone in the build-up to the next Olympics.

Like the editions since the Beijing Olympics in 2008, 12 teams per gender will participate in the quadrennial mega-event, including the host nation, the USA.

The remaining 11 participating teams per gender will result from the FIH Pro League, the Continental Championships, and a fixed number of Olympic Qualification Tournaments, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) informed in a release on Thursday.

The highest-placed nation in the FIH Hockey Pro League Seasons 2025-26 and 2026-27 will qualify for LA28. If the same team that wins the 2025-26 Season also wins the 2026-27 Season, the runner-up of the 2026-27 Season will qualify.

The highest placed team in each of the five Continental Championships, that is not already qualified as host or through the FIH Hockey Pro League, will gain direct berths. Should the nations that qualified through the FIH Hockey Pro League be the highest placed in their continental championships, the next highest placed nation in such continental championships will qualify.

The Continental Championships include the African Hockey Road to LA28 (scheduled in 2027), the 20th Pan American Games (scheduled in 2027), the 20th Asian Games (scheduled in 2026), the EuroHockey Championship (scheduled in 2027), and the Oceania Cup (scheduled in 2027).

If the USA wins the 20th Pan American Games in 2027, the second-placed nation will not subsequently qualify; instead, the quota place will be allocated through the FIH Olympic Qualification Tournaments.

There will be four FIH Olympic Qualification Tournaments -- two per gender -- consisting of eight teams each, held in early 2028, with the top two teams in each tournament qualifying and therefore completing the line-up of participating teams.

Located just outside downtown Los Angeles, Carson Fields, which is adjacent to the world-renowned venue that serves as the home of the LA Galaxy football team, will be transformed into a state-of-the-art hockey venue, equipped to host thrilling matches, vibrant fan activations, and moments that will shape the next chapter of Olympic hockey history.

Hockey has been an Olympic sport since 1908. The Netherlands won both gold medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics. India is the most successful nation in field hockey at the Olympic Games with eight gold medals, six of them in a row,

/IANS