FIH strengthens focus on athlete safeguarding ahead of the World Cup
Lausanne, Switzerland, 11 August 2026 - The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has once again placed athlete safeguarding and well-being at the centre of its public message ahead of the Hockey World Cup, which will be held in Belgium and the Netherlands from 15 to 30 August 2026. According to available information from the FIH and the organisers, the competition brings together 16 men's and 16 women's national teams, with matches to be played in Wavre in Belgium and Amstelveen in the Netherlands. The message from Lausanne comes just days before the start of the tournament, at a time when international sports federations are increasingly facing expectations that safety, integrity and abuse-reporting systems should not merely be formal policies, but an operational part of every major event.
FIH President Tayyab Ikram stressed, according to a report by Inside the Games, that athlete safeguarding has become one of the key issues in sports governance and that federations must create an environment in which athletes can develop free from abuse, harassment and fear of retaliation. Particular emphasis was placed on young athletes, because in high-performance systems they are often in relationships of dependency on coaches, staff, federations and selection structures. Such relationships require clear rules of conduct, confidential reporting channels and qualified professionals who can respond independently of the sporting interests of an individual team or organisation.
The World Cup as a test of sports governance
The World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands is one of the biggest competitions on the FIH calendar and therefore carries broader significance beyond the results on the field alone. Official FIH information states that half of the matches will be played in Wavre, at the Belfius Hockey Arena, and half in Amstelveen, at Wagener Stadium. The organisers point out that the men's and women's tournaments will be held simultaneously and in the same host cities, giving the event additional visibility in terms of equality and the joint organisation of elite sport. The FIH previously announced that the event's slogan is "Together for Glory", with the message of togetherness linked to both the men's and women's competitions, as well as to the effort to present hockey as a global, inclusive and safe sporting platform.
According to the official schedule and organisers' announcements, the championship begins on 15 August, with the finals scheduled for the final two days of the tournament: the women's final is planned for Amstelveen on 29 August, while the men's final is due to be played in Wavre on 30 August. The inaugural edition of the FIH ParaHockey World Cup, intended for athletes with intellectual disabilities, is also being held during the same period, further linking elite competition with the FIH's message of inclusion. According to the FIH, the ParaHockey World Cup will take place from 20 to 24 August in Belgium and the Netherlands, with the final day connected to the arenas hosting the main World Cup.
What the FIH means by athlete safeguarding
On its official website, the FIH states that all forms of abuse and harassment are prohibited under the FIH Integrity Code and constitute a violation of both the FIH integrity framework and the relevant ethical standards of the International Olympic Committee. In practice, athlete safeguarding is not limited to responding after an incident. It includes prevention, education, risk assessment, clearly defined procedures, safe reporting channels and support for people who report suspected harmful behaviour.
On the FIH Academy educational platform, the federation emphasises that every member of the "hockey family" has the right to participate in a safe and respectful environment, regardless of whether they are a player, coach, official, employee or volunteer. The FIH specifically states that the welfare of children and adults at risk is of the utmost importance. This wording shows that safety should not be viewed only through the prism of elite senior international players, but also through the entire system encompassing youth categories, development programmes, academies, volunteers and support staff.
Independent experts and confidential reporting mechanisms
According to the Inside the Games report, the FIH has already used independent athlete safeguarding experts at junior world championships, and this practice is important because the junior level is precisely where international pressure, selection relationships and a higher proportion of underage athletes come together. In such an environment, trust is crucial to the effectiveness of the system: an athlete must know whom they can approach, who receives the report, what happens after the report and how they will be protected from possible retaliation or stigmatisation. If these elements are unclear, a formal policy may remain underused.
Ikram's message therefore also has a governance dimension. Federations, national associations and competition organisers must demonstrate that safety is not an addition to the sporting programme, but a condition for its credible delivery. At major international events involving thousands of athletes, coaching staff members, officials, volunteers, fans and media representatives, athlete safeguarding requires coordination between the international federation, local organising committees, national associations and competent authorities. This also includes a clear distinction between sporting authority and the person or body to whom unacceptable behaviour is reported.
International standards for children in sport
This year, according to available information reported by Inside the Games, the FIH joined the International Safeguards for Children in Sport initiative in cooperation with Laureus Sport for Good. Safe Sport International describes these safeguards as a globally recognised framework that helps organisations prevent harm, protect children's rights and create safer sporting environments through systems, policies and organisational culture. The safeguards are not limited to one sport or continent, but provide a common language for federations, clubs, educational programmes and organisers working with children and young people.
According to Safe Sport International, the eight international safeguards cover an implemented safeguarding policy, systems and procedures for responding to concerns, advice and support, risk management, a code of conduct, safer recruitment and ongoing training, partnerships that support implementation, and continuous monitoring to identify improvements or patterns of risk. For sports organisations, this means that child safeguarding is not merely a legal document, but a cycle that begins with prevention, continues through education and response, and concludes with regular checks of whether the system works in real situations.
Why the message is especially important before a major tournament
Major championships increase athletes' exposure. Performance pressure, media attention, travel, accommodation, interactions with fans and the proximity of different teams can create situations in which risks increase, especially for younger athletes or people without sufficient experience of international competitions. This is why the modern approach to safe sport is increasingly focused on planning before an event begins, rather than merely responding after a problem becomes public. In this sense, the FIH's message ahead of the championship in Belgium and the Netherlands is not an isolated communication gesture, but part of broader pressure on international federations to put standards into practice.
According to official FIH materials, organisers and national associations have access to resources for learning, planning and implementing Safe Hockey programmes. Such tools are important because national associations operate in different legal, cultural and institutional environments, while global sport must establish minimum common standards that apply regardless of the host country or the status of the athlete. For readers who follow only the results, this issue may seem distant from the game itself, but for athletes and their teams it affects the everyday competition experience: from who has access to an athlete, through rules governing communication and accommodation, to the way incidents are reported.
Belgium and the Netherlands at the centre of global hockey
Belgium and the Netherlands have strong hockey traditions and play an important role in the international development of the sport. Official FIH announcements describe the hosting arrangement as a partnership between two hockey powers, with Wavre and Amstelveen preparing for a large number of matches, fans and accompanying programmes. The Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre has been presented as Belgium's new hockey centre, with a capacity of 4,000 permanent seats that can be expanded to 10,000 spectators for major events, according to Hockey Belgium. Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen, located on the southern edge of Amsterdam, has long been a recognised venue for Dutch and international hockey.
The organisational complexity of such an event further highlights why safety and safeguarding protocols must be implemented before teams and fans arrive. The competition simultaneously brings together men's and women's national teams, officials, media, volunteers and visitors from different parts of the world. In such an environment, any lack of clarity regarding responsibilities can weaken trust, while clearly published policies, trained staff and independent reporting channels can help identify risks earlier. For the FIH, this is an opportunity to connect its safe sport message with one of its most visible events.
From declarations to measurable rules
The discussion about safe sport has become an important part of international sports governance in recent years. Numerous federations, Olympic organisations and competition organisers are developing policies covering protection from sexual, physical and psychological abuse, neglect, discrimination, intimidation and abuse of power. According to the FIH, abuse and harassment are incompatible with the values of hockey and undermine the sport. Such a statement only has full meaning if it is linked to clear procedures, professional education and oversight that does not depend exclusively on the internal hierarchy of an individual federation.
Athlete safeguarding is particularly sensitive because sport often combines strong competitive ambition with unequal power relationships. Coaches, selectors, doctors, managers and administrators can influence selection, playing time, scholarships, travel and an athlete's career. Safe sport systems must therefore allow reports to be considered without pressure on the person making the report, while also using procedures that protect the fairness and professionalism of the investigation. Confidentiality, accessibility of information and independence of action become just as important as the rules themselves on paper.
Broader significance for international federations
The FIH's message from Lausanne fits into a trend in which the success of sports organisations is increasingly measured by the quality of their governance, not only by the attractiveness of competitions. Major events can no longer rely solely on sporting spectacle, television images and fan atmosphere. International federations are expected to demonstrate how they protect the people who compete, work or volunteer within the system, especially children, young people and adults in vulnerable circumstances. This does not mean that risk can be completely eliminated, but that an organisation must have reasonably designed measures for prevention, reporting, response and learning from every reported situation.
In sporting terms, the World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands will be a battle for the title between the best national teams in the world. In governance terms, it is also a reminder that international sport is developing towards a model in which athlete safeguarding is not a secondary issue, but part of the basic infrastructure of competition. Through the tournament, the FIH will have an opportunity to demonstrate how its safe hockey policy is applied in practice, from the senior elite tournament to para hockey and programmes involving young people. That is precisely why the message about a safe, fair and inclusive environment comes at a time when field hockey will be under heightened global scrutiny.
Sources:
- Inside the Games - report on the FIH's strengthened commitment to safe sport and statements by President Tayyab Ikram ahead of the 2026 World Cup (link)
- International Hockey Federation (FIH) - official announcement of the Belgium and Netherlands 2026 World Cup, dates, hosts and tournament context (link)
- International Hockey Federation (FIH) - official information on tickets, competition formats, venues, number of national teams and the ParaHockey World Cup (link)
- International Hockey Federation (FIH) - official page on the FIH Safeguarding Policy and the prohibition of abuse and harassment (link)
- FIH Academy - Safe Hockey educational page on participants' right to respect, safety and protection (link)
- Safe Sport International - description of the International Safeguards for Children in Sport and summary of the eight international safeguards (link)
- Hockey World Cup 2026 - official website of the Dutch host with the schedule and information about the tournament in Amstelveen (link)
- Hockey Belgium - information about the Belfius Hockey Arena, its capacity and the stadium's role in the 2026 World Cup (link)