The Irish Women's Hockey team will have to wait until next week before they know if they have qualified directly for the World Cup finals in Perth. An Irish delegation of IHA President Joan McCloy, team manager Denise McCarthy and captain Rachel Kohler attended the Court of Arbitration in Sport in Lausanne today, alongside representatives from Lithuania. Following today's six-hour-long hearing, the court said that it would issue its decision in the middle of next week.
Ireland had originally earned their World Cup place after a play-off against Lithuania for the fifth/sixth place at the qualifying event in France last September. The match ended 2-2 after normal play. Lithuania went on to win the penalty stroke competition, but the tournament official had enforced the wrong order of stroke-taking, ignoring a query from Irish captain Rachael Kohler.
Ireland launched an appeal which was upheld, and the penalty stroke competition was ordered to be retaken. Lithuania did not turn up for the retaking of the penalty stroke competition. Following a 2-1 victory over Scotland, Ireland were duly confirmed as the final qualifier from the tournament.
However, Lithuania lodged a subsequent appeal to the FIH. The result of this was that Ireland's successful appeal was disregarded, and a further qualification tournament should be played. This appeal ruled that Ireland should attend the extra event to be played next month, alongside Lithuania, India and the US. Two out of the four teams with the highest positions would qualify for the World Cup. Ireland will find out next week whether they will have to take part in this extra tournament.
Filed by Greg McKevitt
