FIH gives US chance to qualify

The International Hockey Federation will grant the United States' women’s hockey team an opportunity to qualify for next year’s 10th Women’s World Cup in Perth, following their withdrawal from the women’s World Cup Qualifier in Amiens/Abbeville, France, which began on Monday.

Due to the terrorist attacks in the United States last Tuesday, which resulted in disruption of airline schedules, it was impossible for the team to arrange transport to the qualifier. But the FIH has given the team an opportunity to qualify for the finals. It will have to participate in a three-Test match series against the seventh placed team at the qualifiers, the winner of which will take the final qualification place at the 10th Women’s World Cup.

The venue for the three-match series will be at an FIH approved international facility to be decided by the seventh placed team’s national association, with the fixture taking place in early 2002.

In a letter to the participating teams, Peter Cohen, FIH secretary general, explained, “Because of the extraordinary circumstances that have brought this situation, the FIH believes that in the overall interests of hockey it is only fair and just that the USA not be deprived of an opportunity to qualify for the World Cup despite their inability to compete in this tournament”

Kenya withdrew from the competition, due to lack of funding being made available from their sports ministry.

Revised Pools:
Pool A: England, France, India, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uruguay
Pool B: Belgium, Canada, Japan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Russia, Scotland