By Troy Peters
Six players who represented Guyana at the recently held Junior Pan American hockey championships have been named in a 16-man senior squad announced by the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) to participate in the Central American and Caribbean Games scheduled for San Salvador next month.
National junior captain Shakeem Fawsette, Shaquon Favourite, Oshazay Savory, Tahrea Garnett, Jael Gaskin and Simeon Moore were named in the squad to compete in the hockey competition of the CAC multi sports games billed for June 23 to July 8 in the Central American country.
The six players were featured prominently in Guyana’s creditable showing at the Junior Pan American Hockey championship last month in Barbados where the team finished in a respectable fifth position.
Robert Fernandes, Head Coach of the squad, disclosed that the 16 players and four standbys were selected last weekend and will continue training in preparation for the games.
The experienced Robert France and Jamarj Assanah were also named as well as Paul D’ Andrade, Andrew Stewart, Dominique Alleyne, Edmond Chinian, Kareem McKenzie, Orland Semple, Meshach Sargeant and Troy Hodge.
The standby players are David Williams, Jason-Ray Khalil, Shomere Garnett and Vladimir Woodroffe.
Fernandes said that team will be travelling with only one goalkeeper because of the 16-member team restriction announced by the organisers unlike the 18 players that are normally allowed at other tournaments.
“We will only be allowed five substitutes which gives us limited options so we decided not to carry two goalkeepers,” he added.
Guyana placed fourth the last time the country took part in the CAC Games but according to Fernandes, due to the inactivity of the senior squad at the international level, the seeding was lowered so the team will be playing in a tougher group.
Guyana will be grouped with regional powerhouse Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago and the Dominican Republic, while the other group will feature Mexico, Barbados, Jamaica and debutants El Salvador.
The CAC Games will serve as a qualifier for the Pan American Games billed to take place in September in Santiago, Chile and the local squad will be looking to secure one of two places for the Pan Am Games.
According to Fernandes the squad will continue training on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Georgetown Cricket Club and on Sundays at the National Stadium ahead of the games.
