Chilean Hockey Eyes Olympic Qualification and a Potential World Cup Bid
Andrés de Witt, President of the Chilean Hockey Federation, highlighted the transformative impact of the Pan American Games legacy and outlined enterprising goals for the future of Chilean hockey, including Olympic qualification and a potential bid to host a World Cup.
De Witt emphasized the meaningful infrastructural improvements resulting from hosting the Pan American Games. “It’s been clearly said that the Pan American legacy helped us a lot, the infrastructure that we inherited from the Pan American Games is fabulous. We never had it before and that is already a base and a starting point to be able to dream of holding events and bringing the great teams of the world to our house,” he stated.
Beyond infrastructure, De Witt stressed the power of sport to empower individuals. “There is a vision that sport is a way to empower generations, sports people, young people who want to improve themselves with passion and this accompanied by life values…with ways of being able to project oneself in life and get ahead. I believe that this is a conspiracy between education, between wanting to be more and also being able to demonstrate to oneself that one is capable of reaching higher levels.”
He also praised the strong institutional support within the federation, noting a forward-thinking board and a highly professional management team. he underscored the dedication of those involved, stating, ”we do this ad honorem, we do it as we are passionate about sport, because we have lived it in our lives and it marked us.” However, he also acknowledged the need for professional governance of resources, expressing satisfaction with the current team of professionals.
De Witt acknowledged the progress made under previous administrations, specifically referencing the work of Cachito vigil and Alfredo Castro, whose teams achieved a historic first by qualifying for the World Cup. This foundation is now driving the current ambition: to send a team to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. “We want to take a team to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. That is a dream,” he said, noting the women’s team is closer to achieving this goal, while the men face a more competitive landscape.
Looking further ahead, the federation is exploring the possibility of hosting a World Cup in 2030. “We have to go step by step,” De Witt cautioned, but expressed optimism. He revealed that securing the rights to host would require an investment of $3-4 million and competition with established hockey nations like India, Australia, Germany, and Holland. He highlighted ongoing discussions with the Argentine and Uruguayan federations to potentially present a joint bid.
Currently, the federation is focused on the upcoming tournament starting this Monday, which features a record 24 teams, including Chile. “It is an honor to be able to close this year of great sporting events in the country. And for the first time in the history of these tournaments, 24 teams come…It’s 12 days with six games a day, it’s going to be very intense and it’s a tremendous challenge to organize this.”
Tickets for the tournament are available through Feverup, ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 for individual games and $30,000 to $60,000 for a tournament pass (children’s prices at the lower end).
