KUALA LUMPUR: China have withdrawn from the women's Junior Asia Cup in Kakamigahara, Japan which will be held on April 6-12.
The defending champions were knocked out of the tournament, a qualifier for the 2021 Junior World Cup, by the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak.
Asian Hockey Federation (AHF), in a circular to participating countries, noted that they are now looking for a replacement team to complete Group B.
The top three teams in Kakamigahara will qualify for the Junior World Cup.
China finished 10th in the last World Cup. For the record, Malaysia, who will be playing in Group A, have never qualified for the women's Junior World Cup.
GROUP A: India, Japan, Malaysia, Uzbekistan
GROUP B: South Korea, Thailand, Singapore