P R E S S R E L E A S E

31 July 2003

 

2004 OLYMPIC QUALIFIER TICKETS

ON SALE NOW

 

Premium Stand Season Tickets for next year’s Olympic Hockey Qualifier (OHQ) being held at Lloyd Elsmore Hockey Stadium, Manukau, Auckland, from March 19-28, have been released by the New Zealand Hockey Federation.

Premium Stand seats for the top women’s tournament are available at NZ$100 each. This ticket price offers a saving of 50% off normal ticket prices when purchased before 1 January 2004. Ticket numbers are limited and will be sold on a first come, first served basis.

General daily ticket sales for the 10-nation tournament will go on sale from January 1, 2004.

The New Zealand Hockey Federation has also announced their major partners for the tournament. They are the Lion Foundation, BDO Accountants and Advisers, and Rabobank.

New Zealand, Korea and Japan are confirmed starters for the tournament. The rest of the participating nations will be known in October at the completion of three Continental Qualifiers - the Pan American Games, the European Nations Cup and the All African Games.

Twenty nine games will be played in the round-robin event, with two pools of five teams competing over nine days.

The tournament is held every four years and is the last opportunity for teams to get to the 2004 Olympics in Athens. The top four teams at the tournament will automatically qualify for Athens, with a possible fifth place being made available if the Olympic host country Greece does not qualify. Greece is required to play the 10th ranked team attending the tournament in New Zealand prior to the tournament in a Play-Off Competition (best of 3 matches) to determine its eligibility to participate at the Olympics.

Ticket order forms are available at www.nzhockey.org.nz/ohq or from your local Hockey Association. For further ticket information contact OHQ Ticket Co-ordinator Arthur Parkin at Demi Holdings Ltd on

Ph + 64 9 630 1613.

 

Ends