Minister of Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony is expected to meet with Regional Development Officer of the Pan America Hockey Federation (PAHF), Rene Granat, next month on plans pertaining to the erection of hockey courts at the Guyana National Stadium.
So said president of the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) Philip Fernandes in his report at the body’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) last Wednesday.
According to Fernandes, while the project was not yet financially secure, the two parties will have a major role to play as the project progresses towards its successful completion.
“A meeting has already been set for February 3 with the Minister of Sport and the PAHF Regional Development Officer, Mr. Rene Granat, in an effort to further our plans for developing a hockey pitch at the Providence Stadium,” Fernandes told Stabroek Sport.
“While we have not yet secured funding for this project, these two parties will be critical in moving it forward and in establishing a position from which we can make appeals for assistance,” he added.
Fernandes said that the GHB had spoken with the Director of Sports, Neil Kumar, towards having works on the floor of the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall completed.
“We have also been in touch with the Director of Sport this year seeking the earnest assistance of the ministry to complete the work started on the floor of the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall so that it can once again be safe for indoor hockey,” he said.
Fernandes also announced that the development of junior talent, with a focus on the schools programme, was at the helm of the GHB’s objectives this year.
According to Fernandes, the schools hockey programme must be treated as a priority as it is imperative that the GHB encourages growth in its population in order to progress.
In striving towards this end, the GHB is looking to have an increase in the number of schools that play the sport and the implementation of a few school tournaments.
“There are a number of areas that the GHB wishes to target in 2011,” Fernandes said adding that preliminary discussions on the hosting of three school tournaments during the year to coincide with school holidays and also to increase the amount of schools where hockey is being played, had been held.
“This must be treated as a priority as we have lost many players over the years due to migration and other commitments and we need to encourage more players for us to progress.
“We have too few clubs at the moment and there is dire need for a third ladies team in order for the ladies to have regular competition locally,” he added.
Fernandes also referred to the junior weekend tournament that was held last year as…“a bright spark,” for hockey.
“We would very much like to continue this effort in 2011. Mr. Robert Fernandes was the key organiser of this tournament and must receive credit for his efforts and a job well done,” he said.
Secretary of the board, Gregory Sills, said that this imitative strives towards having an active national team to attend a number of upcoming international under-21 competitions during this year and next.
“We want to look at youth. There are some international under-21 competitions next year and this year, and we want to have a whole youth focus starting with the schools and culminating with an under-21 squad,” Sills said.
Sills emphasized that the goal was not exclusive to students only but to all youths that fit within age range of the category.
“We actually already have some coaching going on in schools, so what we want to do is try to include more schools into the programme and have a few tournaments. But we don’t want to make it just about the schools, instead of just schools, we want to have a combination of schools and youth tournaments, this will be for the under-13, under-16 and under-21 categories. Those are the areas that we’re trying to focus on right now.”
The meeting also discussed the board’s plans for attendance at upcoming international tournaments, namely the Caribbean Cup in Dominica Republic and the Pan America Challenge in Brazil, both tournaments are set for July.
“There are two opportunities this year for both our senior men’s and women’s teams to participate in international competitions, being the Caribbean Cup in the Dominican Republic being held in early July and the Pan Am Challenge being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil during the last week of July.
These are both expensive destinations and we will need to examine the opportunities carefully to determine which if any are possible,” Fernandes said.
And, according to Sills, the body hopes to meet again soon “to discuss all the financial and logistical implications and then decide on the way forward as the time draws near.”
The teams will be using the Pan Am Challenge in the hope of being one of two teams to qualify for the Pan Am Games that will next be held in 2015.
Fernandes also extended gratitude towards all of the sponsors who supported the sport last year and who continue to support the sport.
