Ever wondered how it feels to have a famous sportsman or woman in your family. In case you are one of those people who do not have an athletic bone in your body, you can ask Chantelle Fernandes for she knows the feeling.
You see, Chantelle is Nicollette Fernandes’ kid sister.
For those who do not know, Nicolette Fernandes is a world-ranked squash player. She was once ranked as high as number 27 in the world which for a Guyanese, makes that feat a major, major accomplishment.
So it is not hard to understand why little sister Chantelle is looking to emulate “big sis.”
“What she has accomplished in squash I would like to accomplish in hockey,” She told Stabroek Sport in an exclusive interview recently.
And the multi-talented Chatelle just might be on her way to achieving those lofty goals set by her sister, albeit in a different sport.
No wonder Chantelle is looking forward to her second year at the London Metropolitan University with some degree of eagerness where she will again team up with fellow students Janella Munroe, Marvin Danette and Michael Xavier all of whom are attending the same university and are in fact, in the same dormitory.
“I’m looking forward to next season,” she said, with an impish looking smile, that spoke of goals to accomplish for a career that is every bit as budding as her sister’s once was.
The season, which commences on October 15, runs until December 1 and Chantelle, who scored “many goals” last season said she will be looking to better that performance.
Chantelle, who said she plays in the left-midfield and left back positions, remarkably still finds opportunities to score and score often.
Last season she scored nine goals from a total of 12 games.
Fernandes originally had her sights set on pursuing a degree in sports management but is now doing a degree in Community Sports Coaching and Performance which, she explained, meant upon completion, she would be better able to develop the community through sports.
She said she is “learning the ups and downs of participating in sports.”
Asked how is she managing to cope with studying and training Chantelle said…”some days it’s hectic.”
She reveals that sometimes she has two or three classes a day and then it’s off to the hockey turf for training which is usually Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays from 6-8pm.
Wednesdays are reserved for University Games.
One aspect of university life which she thoroughly enjoys is her work with special needs children which she describes as an “amazing experience.”
Fernandes comes from a family that has a reputation for being good ball players.
Her father Robert, (Bobby) and her uncle Chris played football and hockey at the national level while her cousins David and Philip are former national hockey players.
Chantelle too has had a promising career as a squash player being a member of the Guyana junior girls team which won the CASA team title in 2003 and she also reached the final of the girls’ singles losing to Joanna Scoon at the 2004 tournament.
She was subsequently ranked among the top 16 women’s players after the 2004 tournament.
And, while at the university Chantelle, like most West Indians, was so outstanding when she tried her hand at cricket that she was recruited to play for the Middlesex female cricket team.
But it was in hockey that Chantelle made her mark being instrumental in her university winning the 1`A’ league title. She also helped her club side Hendon reach the play-offs of two competitions.
But it was not all smooth sailing for the hockey star who had to battle injury and the weather.
“In the beginning it was a bit rough coming from hot weather to cold but after a while I got accustomed to it,” she declared.
Back home Chantelle seized the opportunity to play in the Noble House Seafoods Indoor hockey tournament which ended Friday night for her local club Everest Hikers. She also played for the Big Apple Hockey Team’ a USA team at the Banks DIH hockey festival held at the Sir Garry Sobers Sports Complex in Wildey, Barbados last month.
Fernandes is advocating the need for an astro-turf facility for local players.
She feels that such a facility would help local players. Fernandes says the difference between playing on astro-turf and playing on grounds such as Everest and GCC is that the ball travels much faster on the artificial surface.
After completing her studies Chantelle plans to play for a while hopefully in Europe before settling down for a stint of coaching.
Hopefully, Guyana would have had that astro-turf facility by then.
