The Diamond Mineral Water Hockey Festival was officially launched yesterday at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC), Bourda, with the event slated to commence today at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.
This year, a new age category has been added, the Masters Over-45 division, which will see stalwarts of the game in action. In addition to the traditional title sponsor, Diamond Mineral Water, the tournament this year has attracted sponsorship from oil companies ExxonMobil and Republic Bank.
In the women’s division, GCC, Spice, YMCA Old Fort, Saints, and the Trinidad & Tobago Police Club will battle for honours, while Hikers, Saints, GCC, and YMCA Old Fort will suit up for battle in the men’s segment.
On the other hand, Old Fort, Hikers, and GCC will feature the Over-35 category, while the Master’s Over-45 class will contain Old Fort, GCC, and TTO Masters. Last year, Trinidad’s Queens Park Men were victorious in the men’s final, defeating Hikers, while their female counterparts, George United, downed GBTI GCC in that category final. However, the Old Fort veterans prevented the overseas contingent from making a clean sweep with a win in the Over-35 category.
In the opening match at 17:00hrs, GCC will oppose Old Fort in the Masters Over-45 division, while Spice will tackle the TT Police unit at 17:40hrs in the Women’s segment, and Hikers will take aim at Old Fort at 18:30hrs in the Over-35 section.
At 19:10hrs, GCC will battle Saints in the women’s division, while the night will conclude with fixtures in the men’s category as Hikers oppose Old Fort at 20:00hrs and GCC faces off against Saints at 20:50hrs.
Present at the launch, Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) Brand Manager, Larry Wills, spoke of his company’s commitment to the annual event and to sports as a whole and expressed pleasure at being able to continue as the title sponsor of the event.
Also making an address at the launch was the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) Vice President, Tricia Fiedtkou, who stated, “We return to the familiar and vibrant atmosphere of the national gymnasium, where some keenly contested battles have been hosted in the past. A big thank you to the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport for making the National Gymnasium available in the absence of the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall that is currently under renovation.”
She also touched on the key role of the Diamond Mineral Water brand, declaring, “Since the festival’s inception, we have been fortunate to have the unwavering support of our main sponsor, Demerara Distillers Limited, who has continued to demonstrate their commitment to the sport of hockey year after year. Their generosity and dedication have been instrumental in fostering the growth and success of this festival.”
“We are also thrilled to welcome Exxon Mobil as the sponsor for the women’s category of the festival. Their involvement underscores their recognition of the importance of promoting gender equality and supporting women’s sports. We are confident that their partnership will contribute to a thrilling competition for the women’s teams”, she further added.
Fiedtkou also highlighted Republic Bank’s contribution, noting, “In addition to these esteemed sponsors, we are excited to announce Republic Bank as the sponsor of the Veteran’s Over-35 category, and last but not least, Value4U has graciously chosen to sponsor the Masters Over-45 category. We extend a warm welcome to Republic Bank and Value4U as new sponsors and express our gratitude for their support in creating an inclusive and diverse festival.”
With a noticeable absence of overseas teams, Fiedtkou highlighted, “While we are eager to kick-start the festival, we would like to address some unfortunate late withdrawals this year. We understand that circumstances can change and teams may need to make difficult decisions. However, we remain optimistic that the participating teams will showcase their skills and determination to make this tournament memorable.”
“Furthermore, we are privileged to have the Trinidad & Tobago Police women’s team and the Trinidad & Tobago combined Over 45 masters teams are joining us from overseas. Their presence adds an international flair to the competition and enriches the camaraderie among players from various backgrounds”, Fiedtkou declared.
