Hockey tournament cancelled

Press, 25 February 1986, Page 34

Hockey tournament cancelled

By

KEVIN TUTTY

A shortage of $50,000 has forced the New Zealand Women’s Hockey Association to cancel a six nation tournament in April, a decision that could have dire repercussion later this year.

The association fears that the International Hockey Federation may penalise New Zealand by barring it from the World Cup in Amsterdam in August At a meeting last year the I.H.F. discussed taking action against countries which withdrew from, or cancelled, at short notice.

Such a ban would deny New Zealand any international competition in 1986 and restrict its ability to achieve international results which would earn it one of six places ability for the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. “We thought about this deeply before we made the decision,” said the chairman of the N.Z.W.H.A. Miss Dayle Jackson last evening. “A lot of people have worked hard for this tournament including the players and we didn’t want to have ourselves in the embarrassing position we are now in."

A year ago when it started planning the tournament the N.Z.W.H.A. budgeted $50,000 for expenses. Since then its costs — mainly for accommodation, meals and transport — have doubled, to $lOO,OOO and it now finds itself $50,000 short Television New Zealand was not interested in covering the tournament, and . without that carrot to dangle, the association could not attract a sponsor and thus additional finance.

Miss Jackson said the association did not consider going back to associ-

ations for the additional money. That would have meant asking each open graded player in New Zealand for about $B.

Five teams — New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the United States and South Korea — were definite starters for the tournament. Japan withdrew late last year and the N.Z.W.H.A. was waiting for replies from China and Hong Kong who had been asked to fill the vacancy. The association has approached the Ministry of Recreation and Sport for assistance but the Mspister, Mr Moore, will not be

back in New Zealand until March 10. “The four countries which have accepted invitations have been told of the situation. If we received the necessary finance in the next few days we might be able to retrieve the tournament, but by March 10 it would probably be too late," said Miss Jackson. The team for the tournament was to have been announced at the week-end, but it has been withheld and there will probably be. two more training week-ends before the World Cup team is named later in the year.