Andrés de Witt, president of the Chilean Field Hockey Federation (Chile Hockey), led the presentation of Chile's bid to host the 2030 Field Hockey World Cup in Doha, Qatar. The presentation was made to the Congress of the International Hockey Federation (FIH), the sport's global governing body.
According to Cooperativa, the delegation presented the campaign's concept, visual identity and official video. It proposes Antofagasta, San Pedro de la Paz and Santiago as host cities, under the slogan "Hockey Goes Further," in English "A Bigger World for Hockey." ADN Radio reported that the official presentation took place this Friday.
The move follows the federation's formal confirmation in September of the three cities' commitment through agreements with their municipal authorities. Chile's ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Patricio Díaz, San Pedro de la Paz Mayor Juan Pablo Spoerer, and sports representatives from Ñuñoa and Antofagasta were in Qatar.
The figure behind the bid is stark: according to Chile Hockey, the country has only one public field hockey pitch. The bid proposes a network of public infrastructure to bring the sport to different regions, at a time of growth driven by Hockey5s, the five-player variant.
The projects already have names. Ñuñoa plans the country's first fully covered Hockey5s pitch. Antofagasta and San Pedro de la Paz are working on international-class public stadiums that meet Olympic standards.
The other pillar is environmental. The proposal includes rainwater harvesting in the south, desalinated water in the north, photovoltaic plants, electric mobility and emissions offsets through native forest reforestation.
"We are committing to democratizing infrastructure in our country so that no child is left out," said De Witt, who also promised "the most environmentally respectful World Cup in the history of sport." Speaking about the campaign team, he stressed that "in four weeks they developed a proposal that captured a very ambitious dream in a very simple way."
The campaign was coordinated by journalist José María Del Pino. The video was filmed in the three cities with members of the national teams, known as Las Diablas and Los Diablos, as well as children from training schools. It includes a meeting in Biobío with the Lafken Palife Chueca Association, in reference to palín, an ancestral Mapuche sport.
According to G5 Noticias, Banco Santander, AFP Cuprum, Ultramar and Ticketplus joined as sponsors of the bid, alongside a contribution from the National Sports Institute (IND).
After the presentation, the delegation held a first meeting with the FIH Executive Board and will continue with bilateral meetings with other federations and the organization's Infrastructure Committee. The sources do not report when the host will be selected.
