BRUSSELS, Nov 21: South Africa has taken over the hosting of the first women’s Champions Challenge international hockey tournament from India because of security concerns, the sport’s governing body (FIH) said on Wednesday.

The tournament will now take place in Randburg, Johannesburg between February 9-17 2002.

The International Hockey Federation and Indian Hockey Confederation (IHC) agreed to move the event from New Delhi because teams had raised concerns after the September 11 attacks in the United States and the U.S.-led strikes in Afghanistan.

Peter Cohen, FIH Honorary Secretary General, said “The Champions Challenge is an important event to broaden hockey’s competitive base at world level and, from a different perspective, to boost the profile of women’s hockey in South Africa.

“We are very fortunate to be in this position, where FIH has been able to relocate both the women’s Champions Challenge, and the men’s to Kuala Lumpur, at short notice,” he said.

The men’s event was moved from India to Malaysia in October and will now take place from December 8-16.

England, Germany, India, Korea, South Africa and the US will contest the first women’s Champions Challenge, which will be a biannual event.

The winner will be promoted to next year’s Champions Trophy, which will be held in August in Macau.—Reuters