Beijing blow for England women

England women's coach Hope Powell has described FIFA's decision to reject an appeal by the British Olympic Association over qualification for the Beijing Games as "very disappointing".

Powell's team play their first World Cup match in 12 years against Japan on Tuesday and had been hoping to help Great Britain earn a place in the 2008 Olympics.

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They are one of five European nations taking part in the tournament, hosted in China, with the top three qualifying automatically for Beijing.

But England have been exempted from that because the country does not have its own National Olympic Committee.

The BOA appealed the ruling vigorously but FIFA have now insisted that the ban should remain in place.

Powell told the Sunday Telegraph: "The Olympics is the biggest tournament in the world so in that respect it's very disappointing.

"Playing in a tournament like that would have given the players so much experience and exposure.

Former captain Faye White, back in the national squad after injury, echoed Powell's sentiments.

Prospective Olympic athletes are entitled to Lottery funding in order to train full-time but that extra cash is now unavailable to the players.

White said: "The players really need that support because it is the very demanding on their lives.

"The men's game might not need the Olympics but we need it because of the exposure it would give us.

"It's hard to take when there's football in the Olympics and we don't have the right to play in it."