India have cancelled their trip to China and now face a difficult task of finding a new nation to play ahead of Tokyo 2020 ©Getty Images

India's women's hockey team have cancelled their upcoming tour of China due to ongoing fears related to the coronavirus.

The team were set to travel to China from March 14 to 25 according to India Today, but had to cancel, leaving a gap in their preparations for Tokyo 2020. 

"We had to travel to China but that has been cancelled due to the virus," said Indian captain, Rani Rampal. 

"A lot of teams are also not available to play with because they are participating in the Pro-hockey league."

The team finished a tour of New Zealand last week and is set to undergo a four-week training camp prior to their planned tour.

Australia and China were set to face off in the FIH Hockey Pro League, but the fixture has been cancelled due to the threat of disease ©Getty Images
Australia and China were set to face off in the FIH Hockey Pro League, but the fixture has been cancelled due to the threat of disease ©Getty Images

After defeating the United States in the qualifiers, it will be the third time the Indian team has made the Olympics.

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) also announced that the FIH Hockey Pro League matches between Australia and China, set to be played on March 14 and 15 in Chengdu, will also be put on hold, just two weeks after making a similar decision with matches between the affected nation and Belgium.

Over a thousand people to date have died from coronavirus, with more than 43,000 people being infected worldwide - most coming from the first city to be affected, Wuhan.