New Zealand confirms World Cup attendance

The New Zealand men's hockey team will travel to India for the Hockey World Cup after receiving security assurances over threats against foreign sports teams and athletes, officials said Monday.

Hockey New Zealand chief executive Hilary Poole said the team would travel as scheduled to India from Perth in Australia late Monday after receiving advice from the New Zealand government and an independent security adviser.

"The detail we have received has reassured us that the required level of security is in place, therefore we have kept the team in the tournament," Poole said.

"Hockey New Zealand would not send a team unless we had confidence in the security arrangements in place and the security of our players is of paramount importance," she said.

Australia and New Zealand hockey officials said last week they wanted reassurances over security after the Hong Kong-based Asia Times Online news website said it had received a warning from Al-Qaeda-linked militant Ilyas Kashmiri following a deadly bombing in the Indian city of Pune.

The Pakistan-based extremist reportedly warned international competitors against going to the Hockey World Cup, next month's Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket and the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October.

New Zealand's decision to go the World Cup, which starts in New Delhi on Sunday, follows a similar decision announced Sunday by Australia.

Poole said Hockey New Zealand had been in close contact with other countries competing in the World Cup and all still planned to take part.

New Zealand players had been given the choice of pulling out of the tournament and only one - striker Simon Child - had decided not to go.

WELLINGTON, AFP