New Zealand striker pulls out of hockey World Cup (Second Lead, Changing Dateline)

PERTH - New Zealand striker Simon Childe Monday pulled out of the hockey World Cup, beginning Feb 28 in New Delhi, saying a thick security cover is not an ideal environment to play in. The New Zealand team will fly out to New Delhi later Monday.

Childe, however, will not be part of the 18-man squad and will be heading back to

New Zealand.

Childe travelled with the squad to Western Australia for a series of build-up matches, including two tests against Australia.

“It’s not an ideal environment to be trying to play your best hockey and to be performing for your country,” Childe was quoted as saying in the media.

“I think that was the major issue that swayed me when I made up my mind,” said the Aucklander.

Last week, al Qaeda issued a threat asking competitors to avoid the World Cup, the Indian Premier League cricket competition and the Commonwealth Games.

The 21-year-old described his decision as “extremely tough”.

“A big part of me of course wanted to go to the World Cup,” said Childe, who has 119 caps to his name.

Coach Shane McLeod admitted that security concerns made it hard to focus on hockey.

“Just having a threat hanging in the background take its toll and I think, performance-wise, it might have an effect,” he said.

“Also a decision like Simon’s is tough on the team. We do a lot of things together and to have one of us not with us is something we will have to work really hard to deal with.”

Hockey New Zealand (HNZ) said it fully respected Childe’s decision. Chief executive Hilary Poole, however, said HNZ had gone through a rigorous process before confirming that the Black Sticks would attend the World Cup.

HNZ had received advice from the government and from an independent adviser in relation to security arrangements.

“The detail we have received has reassured us that the required level of security will be in place,” Poole was quoted as saying in TVNZ.

Poole said HNZ had also been reassured by the feedback from the New Zealand shooting team at the Commonwealth championships, which are in progress in New Delhi.

She said that HNZ had liaised with other participating nations with regard to their own security assessment and travel plans.

Apart from the independent security adviser, two other security personnel had been added to the tour party, which she said was over and above what other teams were doing.

It was their job to ensure that the International Services Liaison Group, which is responsible for security for the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games, delivered on what had been promised.

Twelve nations are taking part in the World Cup, which is held every four years.

The New Zealand team are due in New Delhi Tuesday and begin their campaign next Monday when they face Canada.