If there was one word to describe the year of 2014 both locally and internationally for Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) chief Phillip Fernandes, it would be successful.
Speaking exclusively to Stabroek Sports, the hockey stalwart said:”2014 was a great year for hockey. Guyana was represented by two senior national teams, one male and one female which both performed well at their respective events. The male team competed in the Pan American Indoor Hockey Championships held in April in Montevideo, Uruguay and secured a first ever Pan American bronze medal defeating Argentina in their final match.
“The women placed out of the medals in the Central American and Caribbean Games of Vera Cruz, Mexico in November but turned in improved performances against top sides in the competition. A junior men’s developmental squad spent four days in Trinidad in December and won three of their four matches which was also a very good showing for Guyana,” declared Fernandes.
“In addition to its international exploits, Guyana’s local calendar was packed with five competitions for women and six for men. The GHB rounded out this year’s programme with a PAHF-sponsored (Pan American Hockey Federation) coaching course and an umpires’ course to further enhance the local resources available to the sport,” he added.
Questioned what was the highpoint of the year, he declared: “This would probably be the success of the men’s national indoor team. The team performed above the expectations of the region and took the bronze medal in a penalty shootout over Argentina.”
“En route to the bronze, Guyana beat Uruguay, Argentina twice but lost to finalists Canada and the USA. This was Guyana’s third time competing in this event and its best ever showing.”
On the local circuit, Fernandes said: “The Hikers men emerged as the top club in the men’s division winning five of the six local competitions including the Diamond Mineral Water International indoor hockey festival.
“Four of these competitions were for the indoor version of the game in which the Hikers have firmly established themselves as top side both locally and regionally. The GCC ladies team remain the local queens having repeated their 2013 clean sweep of women’s competition in 2014 by winning all five competitions on the GHB calendar for the year.
“The competitions, held on the local calendar, were the Bounty One-Day competition, the Brydens Super Classic, the Noble House Goals Galore Indoor handicap, the Banks Night Hockey Tournament, the GT&T National Indoor and the Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Festival,” he added.
“The only blemish on the otherwise successful year of hockey was the inability to stage the John Fernandes Insurance Services Ltd men’s second division league and the incompletion of the Farfan & Mendes men’s first division league. The unavailability of grounds and heavy demands of the international calendar made it impossible to conclude these two events in the calendar year.
“This is a difficult challenge for the GHB and the organisation continues to lobby the International Hockey Federation (FIH) for funding of an artificial pitch on which the game can be played in all weather. We have had some encouraging talks with the FIH president but no firm decision has been made as to this support. While we await further news on this, the GHB continues to make every effort to utilise the cricket grounds that avail themselves to hockey.”
Asked what is expected of the sport both locally and internationally in 2015, Fernandes said:”2015 is expected to be a busy year for hockey once again. The junior national boys’ team, which has benefitted from an Olympic Solidarity team support grant, has two tours planned for the year in preparation for the 2016 Junior Pan American Championships. They are expected to participate in an Easter festival for juniors in April and the Lions Cup junior tournament in August.
“The senior women and men’s teams meanwhile will focus their efforts on participating in the PAHF Challenge being held in Chiclayo, Peru in October. In addition to the regular local calendar of Competitions, the Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Festival is anticipated to be one of the best in the competition’s history. Teams from Canada have already confirmed and there are talks currently in progress aiming at trying to get a team from Europe for the first time.”
