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Hopes of playing in front of the home crowd for the Baby Pearls are now in dire.

The International Netball Federation has announced its decision to cancel the Netball World Youth Cup 2021 after its board meeting on March 12th.

The event was scheduled to take place in Suva from the 2nd to the 11th of December.

The INF says they considered the risks related to hosting such an event during an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

It says the safety and wellbeing of participants and the Fijian population are at the heart of the decision.

INF President, Liz Nicholl CBE says the decision was made with a heavy heart.

The New Zealand Under 21 team are defending Netball World Youth Cup champions, and their next opportunity to defend the title will come in 2025.

[Source: Scoop Independent News]