President of the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB), Philip Fernandes has described 2020 as a horror year for the sport but said that the board is eager to leave the nightmare of 2020 in its rearview as it aims to progress in 2021.
“The Guyana Hockey Board had a difficult 2020 with not much going on,” Fernandes told Sunday Stabroek.
The board, during the last year, had to limit its on-field activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They were able to successfully strut the international circuit on February 23, with a 4-3 score line at the final whistle in Guyana’s favour, which secured an empathic triumph over host Canada Red in the final of the Field Hockey Canada International Masters Indoor Tournament.
It was an ideal finish for the Guyanese on the day the nation celebrated its 50th Republic anniversary. Jonathan Robert was at the forefront of the win, netting a brace. He received support from Anthony Solomon and Alan Fernandes, who netted the other goals for the Guyanese. Earlier in the tournament, Guyana played unbeaten to reach the final.
Meanwhile, on the local scene, at the tail end of January 2020 to be precise, the board, in collaboration with the Trinidad-based Queen’s Park Cricket Club (QPCC) hosted a junior QPCC outdoor challenge at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground.
Saints Hockey Club and QPCC were the eventual winners, clinching the under – 16 and 13 titles, respectively. There was also an indoor component to the visit by QPCC which was won by Old Fort and the visitors.
It appeared to be smooth sailing for the board at the point. They went on to successfully host the annual Bounty and Antonio’s Grille one-day outdoor hockey tournament at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence in February. It was a day to remember for those who wore the captain’s armband as Pepsi Hikers’, Robert France and GBTI GCC Tigers’ Sonia Jardine produced quality performances to lead their sides to championship glory.
But it was at that juncture that the pandemic reared its head in Guyana, putting a damper on the rest of activities on the calendar, including the much anticipated Diamond Mineral Water International Hockey tournament and the GTT senior cup.
“…We were able to start a few local competitions which had to be abandoned midway as the shutdown occurred in February/March while on the international scene, we had some big hope of participating in some international tournaments which had to be rescued in 2021,” Fernandes noted.
The most notable quashed international event for 2020 was the Pan American Challenge which was scheduled for June 27 to July 5, 2020 in Lima, Peru.
Nevertheless, as the new year gets underway, Fernandes has renewed his optimism about what is to come.
“…We have a new calendar and we are focused on a different selection of tournaments because of how things have changed. So, the big targets for the board in 2021 in terms of international hockey, is firstly the junior Pan Am championship for boys, which is being held at the end of April in Chile.
“We always find it’s very worthwhile for junior players to be exposed to hockey at this level. It serves us for a very long time as they get into the senior ranks,” Fernandes revealed.
He also disclosed that the indoor Pan Am Cup for the females at the end of June in the United States and the CAC qualifier for the females in Bermuda sometime around July, are among the major undertakings for the board in 2021.
