RIYADH: The Saudi Hockey Federation announced it will host the first Arab five-a-side hockey championship in Saudi Arabia at the Green Halls Complex in Riyadh later this week. For the latest updates, follow us on Twitter @ArabNewsSport The championship will be held from January 5 to 9, and will include seven teams such as Alzamalek Club, Alrayan Club, Oman Pioneers in addition to a number of expatriate teams in the Kingdom. The tournament will also involve the participation of the first Saudi hockey team. The Saudi team was developed after recent performance camps set up by SHF. The championship will have a technical supervision by specialists and experts from the International Hockey Federation. Mohammed Al-Mandiel, president of the SHF, said the goal of holding Arab and international championships comes within the framework of creating competition among the participating teams, indicating that spreading the game and its culture in the Arab regions comes within future plans that are in line with the Kingdom"s Vision 2030. He also added that introducing the game to the masses and the sports community is important for the federation because of its positive aspect in raising the quality of life and sports development in the Kingdom.