The Guyana senior national men’s hockey team will participate in the Indoor Pan American Cup (IPAC), which is slated for March 19 in Priddis, Alberta, Canada.
The Golden Arrows will play regional powerhouse Argentina at 1:15 p.m. local time before going up against the USA at 6:15 p.m. They will then rub shoulders with hosts Canada on March 20, before concluding the round-robin phase against Trinidad & Tobago on March 21. The semi-finals and finals of IPAC are slated for March 22.
Traditionally Guyana’s strength, this will be the first time the men’s team is playing in the Indoor Pan Am Cup since they placed 4th on home soil in 2017. Prior to 207, Guyana’s best finish at this level was when they won bronze in 2014 in Uruguay. Zeroing in on preparations ahead of the trip, Head Coach of the national men’s programme Robert Fernandes revealed, “Our preparation has not been ideal up to this point. Due to the renovations at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, we’ve had to utilise the St. Stanislaus College auditorium and GCC, both of which are not the size of the surface we’ll be competing on, but we’re making the most of these facilities.”
Additionally, Fernandes pointed out, “We’re also in a transition phase, both in terms of players and coaching staff; the majority of the squad is either under 21 or in their early 20s, and only six of the players have Indoor Pan Am Cup experience.”
As part of the overall transition phase, the head coach for this tournament will be former national player and Level 2 FIH coach Shane Samuels.
To this end, Fernandes noted, “Shane is an exceptional indoor coach; he has a great deal of experience both locally and coaching in England. His success in indoor hockey, both as a player and coach at the club level, made him the best candidate for this role. Although we would have liked to have given him a longer preparation period, he is committed to the task and will put the boys in the best position to succeed.”
The final team of 12 players will be selected from the 17-man squad presently in training. The squad includes three overseas players: England-based Jamarj Assanah and Andrew Stewart, and USA-based Aroydy Branford. The local players include veteran captain Robert France, Medroy Scotland, Paul D’Andrade, Raoul Whittaker, Jarbari Lovell, Kareem McKenzie, Meshach Sargeant, Omar Hopkinson, Shakeem Fausette, Shaquon Favourite, Shomere Garnett, Simeon Moore, Tahrea Garnett, and Warren Williams.
The team is scheduled to depart Guyana’s shores on March 16, pending the approval of their Canadian visas.
