IWHF shocked by US
decision to pull out
The United States' women's hockey team's decision to pull out of the hockey World Cup play-off series against India, citing security reasons, has left Indian Women's Hockey Federation secreray Amrit Bose in a state of shock.
"I am surprised at the development," she said, reacting to the US team's decision to abort the India tour suddenly on Saturday.
Bose said when she went to meet the US hockey team management they said they had received an advisory from their federation to pull out as "there is a war-like situation in the subcontinent".
'The girls' parents were worried and the team has left,' the management is believed to have told Bose.
"I told them that there is no war-like situation. Had it been the case, our Prime Minister would not have been holidaying in Manali," she said.
Asked what would be the fate of the finals, to be held in Australia later this year, She said: ''We should qualify. We should be allowed to play as it is not our fault that the US team has withdrawn. We have lost sponsors, TV rights and ticket revenue," she added.
The FIH is yet to make a comment on the United States' decision to pull out.
The US squad had arrived earlier this week for a three-game series, to be played in Delhi, between June 3 and 6.
It was the second time the US squad withdrew from the qualifying event for the World Cup. The team had pulled out of the qualifiers in France, held shortly after the September 11 attacks in the United States last year.
FIH decided to give the United States a chance and thereby India, by virtue of finishing seventh in the qualifiers, were asked to play the U.S.
Veteran goalkeeper Thingongleima Chanu was named to lead the Indian team for the three-match series.
Chanu, the most experienced player in the Indian squad, has 180 international caps to her credit. To lay claim to the last berth in the World Cup in Perth between November 25 and December nine this year, she will have the services of stars like Pritam Siwach, Manjinder Kaur, Nidhi Nandanoori, Helen Mary and Sunita Mary Kullu.
The Indian Women Hockey Federation also announced that the injured Surinder Kaur, a veteran of 63 internationals, is fit for the series.
The Indian under-18 team, both boys and girls, will leave for Poland to participate in a tournament from July 24 to August four as part of the Poland Youth Festival.
The girls' tournament will feature six teams and while the boys' will have nine countries participating.
The teams for the India-US play-off series:
India: Tingongleima Chanu, Amandeep Kaur, Suman Bala, Surja Lata Devi, Sita Gussian, Sumrai Tete, Nidhi Nandanoori, Pritam Siwach, Mamta Kharab, Jyoti Sunita Kullu, Helen Mary, Pushpa Pardhan, Masira Surin, Gurpreet Kaur, Papki Devi, Manjinder Kaur and Sanggai Ibemhal.
USA: Mimi Smith, Kim Miller, Kristen Mccain, Peggy Storrar, Melanie Meerschwam, Tracey Larson, Kelli Gannon, Tracey Fuchs, Lucas Antoinette, Katie Kaufman, Keli Smith, Carla Tagliente, Carrie Lingo, Robyn Kenney, Jenny Evereet, Kate Barber, Jill Dedman and Amy Tran.
