JAMAICA’S national male and female hockey teams are down to participate in round one of the Hockey World League to take place on the newly laid multimillion dollar artificial turf at the Mona Hockey Field in St Andrew.

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) World League tournament is scheduled from September 30 to October 5. Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic are playing in the tournament.

The Hockey World League is split into four rounds that will last over a two-year cycle. For one cycle, the World League will serve as the qualifier for the World Cup and in the next cycle it is the qualifier for the Olympics.

Jamaica’s teams will gain FIH world ranking points from participating in the World League and could also gain valuable international playing experience against other national teams with minimal travel in the first two rounds.

Chair of the Jamaica Hockey Federation’s organising committee Victor Tomlinson believes the tournament will raise the profile of the sport in Jamaica as well as help the Jamaican teams to return to being one of the top Caribbean teams and also improve their international ranking.

Next month’s tournament is also expected to help both male and female Jamaican teams to prepare for the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mexico in November 2014.

Tomlinson believes the World League is also a good way to celebrate the completion of the new artificial hockey turf. The turf is being installed at a cost in excess of $25 million.