The Guyana Hockey Board has shortlisted 27 players to begin training tomorrow for the second Caribbean Hockey Cup billed for Jamaica in June.
The squad featured most of the players who represented Guyana at the inaugural tournament in Trinidad and Tobago two years ago.
The training sessions will take place at Georgetown Cricket Club ground starting at 17:30 hours.
The Caribbean Cup will take place from June 22-29 in Kingston and will involved the English-speaking Cari-bbean teams Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and host Guyana competing in both male and female competitions.
National coach Philip Fernandes will be in charge of the squad and he will be assisted by two coaches appointed by the Board.
Fernandes who is also President of the GHB said the squad will be selected before the end of April from the players called. The Guyanese failed to win a match in the inaugural tournament but came in for high praise after being away from regional competition for over 15 years.
The Guyana team that comprised several players making their international debut and seeing artificial turf for the first time lacked the exposure and experience of their opposition but still almost managed to upset eventual finalists Jamaica in their 0-1 loss in the pool round. After losing by 5-0 to Barbados in the opening match, Guyana’s improvement was also evident when they met the Bajans again in the bronze medal playoff, almost pulling off the 1-0 victory until succumbing to a still creditable 2-1 defeat.
According to coach Fernandes, the ladies were new to competition as all of the players were competing in either their first or second international at the time. While Trinidad, Jamaica and Barbados would have benefitted from several international engagements since the last Caribbean Cup, a luxury that Guyana does not enjoy too often for the lack of funds.
Fernandes said the Board is confident that the ladies can improve on their last performance and hopefully achieve their goal of qualifying for the 2010 CAC Games in Puerto Rico.
The players named are Alysa Xavier, Tonza Sarrabo, Natalie Hing, Tracey Atkinson, Trisha Woodroffe, Sonia Gordon, Tiffany Solomon, Vanessa Pires, Wendy Boodhoo, Vashema Bourne, Tricia Fiedtkou, Marzena Fiedtkou, Thalia Fiedtkou, Makini Harry, Marisha Rodrigues, Sonia Jardine, Maria Munroe,Chantelle Fernandes, Cora Towler, Amanda Garnett, Brennette Gordon, Ulrica Sutherland, Carol Caine, Gabriella Xavier, Dominique DeGroot, Kerensa Fernández and Avonda James.
