Ismailia: President of the International Hockey Federation Tayyab Ikram praised the outstanding organization of the 2026 Men's Hockey World Cup Qualifiers, held at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium, Ismailia, from March 1 to 7, with the participation of eight teams.

According to State Information Service Egypt, Ikram remarked on March 18, 2026, that the success of the tournament reflects the ability of the Egyptian federation to host international hockey events at the highest level of professionalism. The International Hockey Federation sent a letter of thanks to the Egyptian Hockey Federation, headed by Ashraf Farahat, expressing appreciation for the organizational efforts and excellent cooperation with local authorities and the federation's team. These efforts helped provide an ideal competitive environment for participating teams and fans.

For his part, Farahat, who is also a member of the Egyptian Olympic Committee, expressed gratitude to the International Hockey Federation for its confidence in Egypt to host the tournament and to the Ministry of Youth and Sports for its full support. Egyptian national team players secured individual awards, with goalkeeper Mohamed Gamal named best goalkeeper for his standout performances, while Ahmed El Genaini finished as top scorer after netting the highest number of goals. Egypt concluded the qualifiers in sixth place after facing strong competition from participating teams.