Manchester, UK -- A British newspaper is reporting that the Iroquois Nationals have dropped out of the 2010 World Lacrosse Championships, but that's news to tournament organizers and team officials. The Manchester Evening News is reporting on its website that the Nationals, stranded in New York City as diplomats and lawyers dispute their passports, have withdrawn from the competition. "I...
Manchester, UK -- A British newspaper is reporting that the Iroquois Nationals have dropped out of the 2010 World Lacrosse Championships, but that's news to tournament organizers and team officials.
The Manchester Evening News is reporting on its website that the Nationals, stranded in New York City as diplomats and lawyers dispute their passports, have withdrawn from the competition.
"I am not aware of this at this stage, still in dialogue," Ron Balls, a spokesman for the Federation of International Lacrosse, said in a text message when asked by email to confirm the report.
Championships officials said in a statement on the tournament website that FIL officials were awaiting word from the Nationals on whether they will play in later stages.
The Nationals have forfeited the opening game against England that was set for 7:30 p.m. Manchester time. The team remains scheduled for four other games in the round robin that opens the championships. Its next match is supposed to take place at 1:30 p.m. local time against Japan.
Stuck in Queens, team members and coaches took pictures, sang native songs and otherwise passed the time as they waited to see whether they could board a scheduled 4 p.m. flight to Europe.
Oren Lyons, an Onondaga Nation faithkeeper and honorary chairman of the Nationals, said the team's lawyers would continue to try to persuade British authorities to let the team members travel on Haudenosaunee passports.
Meanwhile, Rep. Dan Maffei, D-DeWitt, is scheduled to speak live on BBC radio to tell British subjects why they should pressure their government to relax their position requiring team members to present U.S. or Canadian passports, or get visas, spokeswoman Abby Gardner said.
The interview is scheduled for 12:50 p.m. EDT, airing in Manchester about 40 minutes before the Nationals were to face off against England.