Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) president Phillip Fernandes says Guyana stands a good chance of walking away with the over US$1,000 prize in the 2012 championships when the Diamond Mineral Water Indoor Hockey Championship starts today at the National Gymnasium.
Fernandes said the quality of play in both the men’s and women’s teams is improving. “The women are the defending champions, the GCC women’s team in fact and also men’s finals had two local teams…. So I think we are strong contenders in the men’s category in particular,” he said.
This year, the women’s competition will be stronger than it has been in a few years, “because we have two of the stronger team[s] from Trinidad and we have Toronto here too. The standard of hockey played in Canada is very high, so we expect …Canada to be contenders for the trophy,” he said, adding that the GHB also hold those aspirations for its women’s team which has done well in the past.
The overseas teams contesting the tournament are the Toronto Academy – Canada, YMCA – Barbados, and Malvern, Fatima, Carib, Magnolias and Queen’s Park of Trinidad and Tobago. Old Fort, GCC, Hikers, Renegades and Bokra are also competing.
In the men’s category: Old Fort, GCC, Hikers, YMCA and Renegades will be competing, while in the women’s GCC, Hikers, Toronto Academy, Malvern, Magnolias and Bokra will compete. In the Veterans Category competition will be among Old Fort, Fatima, GCC, Hikers, Malvern and Carib.
Today competition will be among GCC and Old Fort, Hikers and Fatima, Carib playing Malvern, Fatima are engaging Old Fort followed by Hikers and GCC in the Veterans Category. In the men’s division: the YMCA is taking on the Hikers, Old Fort and Renegades and Hikers playing GCC. In the ladies category: GCC will play Bokra while Hikers plays Bokra. The first match will be played at 4pm.
The winners of the men’s and women’s categories will each receive US$1000, US$500 for second place, while US$500 will be awarded to the winner of the Veterans Category.
