FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup 2022 at Estadi Olímpic in Terrassa, Catalonia (Spain)

Resilient and sustainable – the perfect turf for professional hockey at a World Cup

The FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup 2022 was held simultaneously in the Netherlands and Spain to better manage the immense costs of such a major international event. The tournament took place at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen and at the Estadi Olímpic in Terrassa, a city of 220,000 residents in Catalonia, located just 30 kilometers from Barcelona. The tournament was played between July 1 and July 17, 2022. Polytan is proud to be a "Global Partner" of the FIH Hockey World Cup. The Estadi Olímpic de Terrassa can accommodate 11,500 spectators and is currently primarily used by the football club Terrassa FC, which has won the Copa Catalunya twice. Built in 1955, the stadium was fully renovated in 1991 for the Barcelona Summer Olympics in 1992 – from which its current name originates. It hosted the Olympic field hockey competitions since Terrassa is considered the cradle of Spanish hockey and famous for its vibrant hockey tradition. The city is home to three top hockey clubs of Spain and Catalonia: CD Terrassa, Atlètic Terrassa, and Club Egara. Germany's men's team won the Olympic gold then, while the host country's women's team claimed the gold medal. During the FIH Hockey World Cup 2022, 24 of the total 44 matches took place at the Estadi Olímpic, including the two semi-finals and the final, where the Netherlands defeated Argentina to secure their ninth World Cup title, setting a record. Extensive upgrades and renovations were made to the arena in preparation for the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup 2022. These included installing new LED stadium lighting and replacing the old field with a dedicated hockey turf. The FIH opted for our synthetic turf Poligras Platinum GT. This product is an enhancement of the proven Poligras Platinum CoolPlus, which had showcased its quality at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. This full-plastic turf system meets all requirements for professional hockey turf. Its dense and uniform surface prevents directional effects on ball rolls, enabling fast and precise play. Special texturing processes give the turf its exceptional volume and durability. In Terrassa, the new Green Technology version was used, featuring filaments made with at least 20% polyethylene (PE) derived from renewable raw materials. Additionally, as production relies entirely on green energy, we were able to offer the organizers in Catalonia a modern, sustainable synthetic hockey turf with a reduced CO2 footprint. The integrated CoolPlus function also provides a cooling effect and reduces water consumption. Aesthetically, the turf is London Blue, matching the one at Amstelveen. In the run-up to the World Cup and during the event, numerous hockey matches were also played at the Estadi Olímpic, such as the FIH Pro League matches between Spain’s men’s team and South Africa, as well as the women’s team against China. FIH Sports Director Jon Wyatt praised the newly installed synthetic turf before the tournament: “The turf has proven itself, and the stage is set for incredible spectacles when the world’s best women’s teams meet here next month.” Since the Estadi Olímpic de Terrassa returned to being a football stadium after the Hockey World Cup, the pitch was removed following the event and reinstalled just a few hundred meters away at the Estadi Municipal de Hockey Martí Colomer. Photos: Josep M. Isidoro (Easy Films Bcn)