Women’s World Cup: The Netherlands women’s football team has been forced to train on a cricket pitch in their preparations for the Women’s World Cup. Coach Andries Jonker has hit out at the decision, saying it is “amateurish” and that he is worried about the safety of his players.
The Netherlands is based in New Zealand for the tournament but have been unable to train on a suitable football pitch. The only pitch available to them is at the Bay Oval in Tauranga, which is also used for cricket.
The pitch is not in good condition, and Jonker is concerned that it could lead to injuries.
“When we arrived here on Wednesday, I thought: ‘What is this now? I will not train on this,” he said.
“We have raised concerns about the cricket pitch previously, we were promised things and now we are very disappointed and angry. We are not satisfied.”
The Netherlands are due to start their World Cup campaign against Portugal on Friday. Jonker says he is worried about the team’s fitness and preparation ahead of the game.
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“We are not in the best shape,” he said. “We have not been able to train properly and that is a concern.”
The World Cup organisers have said they are working to find a solution to the problem.
“We are aware of the concerns raised by the Netherlands team and we are working with them to find a solution,” a spokesperson said.
“We want to ensure that all teams have the best possible facilities to prepare for the tournament.”
The Netherlands are not the only team to have been affected by the poor pitch conditions in New Zealand.
The England women’s team have also been forced to train on a cricket pitch, and have complained about the lack of facilities.
The poor pitch conditions have raised concerns about the safety of the players, and have cast a shadow over the World Cup.