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The International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Thursday postponed two of the FIH Pro League matches because of the travel restrictions imposed by Germany, Belgium, and China due to the coronavirus outbreak. The federation decided on the request of the traveling teams, which were involved in the matchups.
The men's match between Great Britain and Germany was initially planned to be held on 14th and 15th November, while China and Belgium in the women's category were expected to clash on 23rd and 24th January 2021. As the coronavirus cases have increased over a couple of days across Europe, strict travel restrictions have been re-implemented, causing the postponement.
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Most appropriate course of action: FIH CEO
FIH also announced that the matches are bound to get rescheduled after the evaluation of the health situation. They will consult with the stakeholders regarding the current scenario, keep health concerns as the priority.
"With the travel constraints governed by the regulations in place in Germany, Belgium and China due to the COVID-19 global health pandemic, the International Hockey Federation (FIH), on request of the travelling teams involved, has decided to postpone the following FIH Hockey Pro League matches." - the world body said.
FIH CEO Thierry Weil expressed his regret regarding the situation and said that they will be looking forward to enjoying the hockey matches as the pandemic eases.
“While it’s always a pity to have to take such decisions, we fully understand the situation and this is the most appropriate course of action to date. We do hope that the global health situation will improve soon and our thoughts are with all those who are affected at the moment. We’re looking forward to enjoying international hockey matches next year again!”
Before the COVID pandemic, one-third of matches of the second edition of FIH Pro League had been completed, with the last fixtures played on March 7th. Because of the widespread, the Pro League got extended to June 2021.
