It is similar to the outdoor game in that two teams compete to move a hard ball into the goal of the opposing side using hockey sticks.

The first Indoor World Cup was held in Leipzig, Germany, in 2003, where the home nation won both the men's and women's gold medals.

Eurosport television ratings for the recent Indoor Hockey World Cup, held in Leipzig, Germany, have shown the event to garner large audiences.

A total of 20 million viewers watched 13 hours broadcast on Eurosport, with ten matches aired live.

Arnaud Simon, Eurosport's Program Director commented: 'The first Indoor World Cup was a very exciting event, well suited for television and with good production standards.