Champions Trophy &
Champions Challenge

The Champions Trophy

The International Hockey Federation's premier annual event, the Champions Trophy features the world's top ranked teams competing in a round-robin format with the teams advancing to final classification games.. Pakistan orginated the tournament and won the first men's Champions Trophy in 1978. The women's competition was added in 1987.

Six teams annually qualify for the Champions Trophy. In the year following a World Cup or Olympic Games, the six teams include the host, the defending champion, the world champion and the next highest ranked teams - excluding those already qualified - from either the most recent World Cup or Olympic Games.

The following year, the last place team at the Champions Trophy is dropped from the tournament, and is replaced by the winner of the Champions Challenge.

Champions Challenge

Initiated in 2001, the Champions Challenge (men | women)  consists of the host and the five top ranked World Cup or Olympic teams who have not already qualified for the Champions Trophy. The Champions Trophy is conducted  every two years with the winner of the tournament promoted to the Champions Trophy.