The nation, currently led by captain Evgeny Mokrousov, earned maximum points from four games at the World League Round One in the Croatian town of Sveti Ivan Zelina to make a return to top international hockey since their last appearance in 1990 at the Hockey World Cup.

Russia, currently ranked 19th in the International Hockey Federation (FIH) World Rankings, defeated Bulgaria 11-0, Switzerland 7-0, Turkey 10-0 and hosts Croatia 10-0.

They netted 38 goals and conceded no goals, with Dmitry Azarov scoring 12 of those, Nikolay Yankun scoring six and Alexander Palyanitsa five.

"This victory signals the start of a Russian revival: they last participated in a major hockey competition in 1990, in the Hockey World Cup," said an FIH statement.

"Four years previously at the World Cup in London 1986, they had finished a creditable fourth, but then suffered a slide down the World Rankings."

Switzerland also qualified for Round Two after winning two of their four games, drawing one and losing one.

Bulgaria and Croatia came third and fourth respectively, while Turkey registered no wins and came last.

The men's Hockey World League Round Two events are due to take place in Singapore from January 17 to 25 January next year, in the United States city of Lancaster from February 28 to March 8 and in Cape Town, South Africa, from March 7 to 15.

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