The local hockey fraternity is in a state of mourning following the passing of its long serving Secretary Elton Gregory Sills yesterday after a prolonged illness.
Sills, who has been a hockey administrator from as far back as 1997, also represented Guyana during the 1980’s.
In a statement issued last evening the Guyana Hockey Board said that Sills served with distinction as the honorary secretary of the Board since 2001.
“Gregory was the longest serving administrator on the current executive committee of the GHB and, apart from his very important function as secretary, provided the sport with experience and vast institutional knowledge, the statement sent by President of the Guyana Hockey Board Philip Fernandes noted.
Sills began playing hockey in Linden where he lived in his younger years and was one of a long list of outstanding players to emerge from the mining town.
He represented Guyana as a midfield player at the South American Hockey championship in 1988 in neighbouring Venezuela.
The statement noted that Sills was also an instrumental player for Mack’s Ace Hockey Club which ruled hockey in Guyana for several years in the 1980’s and also played first division for the Guyana Defence Force.
“After his playing days were over Gregory utilized his knowledge of the game as a coach. He eventually was challenged with the task of coaching Guyana’s male junior national team in the Junior Caribbean Championships and the Junior Pan American Championships in 1992.”
Under his guidance, Guyana won Gold medals at the Junior Caribbean Championships Sills also went on to further success in coaching the senior men’s national team for several years before retiring from coaching after his team’s creditable performance in the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1994 where they narrowly missed the Bronze medal.
He also served on several occasions as team manager for Guyana’s national hockey team with his last such appointment being as recent as the Caribbean Championships of 2007 in Trinidad.
The Board noted that Sills coordinated many junior summer camps and coaching courses locally and represented the Guyana Hockey Board as a Council Member of the Guyana Olympic Association.
“The Guyana Hockey Board has lost a great resource and friend in Gregory Sills. He has surely made an impact on everyone in the current hockey fraternity and will be sorely missed. May he rest in peace,” the statement read.
Troy Peters, former GHB President and teammate said Sills was a very enthusiastic player and a committed hockey administrator who will surely be missed by the local and international hockey family.
