Hockey India withdraws from 2022 Birmingham CWG; cites COVID-19 concerns, discriminatory quarantine rules

HI said it can’t risk sending its players to the U.K., which has been one of the worst affected by the coronavirus pandemic

India on Tuesday pulled out of next year’s Birmingham Commonwealth Games’ hockey competition, citing COVID-19 concerns and UK’s discriminatory quarantine rules for travellers from the country, a day after England’s withdrawal from the junior men’s World Cup in Bhubaneswar over similar reasons.

Hockey India president Gyanandro Ningombam communicated the federation’s decision to Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra in a letter.

Hockey India reasoned that there is only a 32-day window available between the Birmingham Games (July 28-August 8) and the Hangzhou Asian Games (September 10-25).