International hockey can resume only after COVID vaccine is developed: FIH

International hockey will be played only after a vaccine is developed to cure the deadly coronavirus, the FIH has announced as the world governing body revealed a five-stage process, devised for resumption of the game at different levels.

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) believes global competition among its member countries will be possible only during the last stage of the process, the timeline of which cannot be set.

"These are very early days when it comes to a return to action but, within its guidance FIH has produced a five stage process showing the route back to something resembling normality. This starts, as has been seen in the Netherlands and Belgium, with a return to carefully managed training, still with social distancing measures in place," the FIH said in a statement.

"The next stage will be a resumption of regional competition, followed by local travel between neighbouring nations. Trans-Continental competition will follow and, finally, once a vaccine is in place, it is hoped there will be a return to normal competition."
"There is no time scale for these stages to be reached and it will vary from country to country."
"Hockey, as a team sport, with contact, is seen as a higher risk activity and so is subject to higher levels of control and restriction."