Pan Am Indoor Hockey C/ships… Guyana, GHB have a national duty to produce a high class event

Aug 15, 2017 Sports, http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....-a-high-class-event/

With the participation of countries from North, Central and South America and the Caribbean confirmed, hosts Guyana and more directly the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) have a national duty to produce a high class event that should leave a lasting legacy in the minds of visitors.
The GHB will have the opportunity of hosting for the first time the Pan American Indoor Championships which commences on October 14, at the refurbished Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
According to information received from the GHB, the Championships which will have both men’s and women’s participation will serve as the Pan American Continental Qualifier for FIH Indoor Hockey World Cups scheduled for February 2018 in Berlin, Germany.
Touted to be one of the biggest since its inaugural year in 2002, eight nations will contest the women’s segment, while seven will participate in the men’s category representing numbers only bettered by host Venezuela in 2010.
Among the countries confirmed is Canada that has won the competition four times, making them the most successful in the men’s category.
What is even more encouraging is the fact that they possess quite a few players who’ve played in Guyana previously during the Diamond Mineral Water Festival (DMWF) with Guyana-born Jonathan Roberts, being the most familiar of the lot.
Trinidad and Tobago is also likely to have a number of players in their squad who have competed in Guyana at the DMWF so they too will feel at home and could expect support from local fans, especially when they playing against opponents unfamiliar with the Guyanese.
However, they will have to contend with the likes of the powerful Argentina and USA who’ve both been finalists in the past with the latter beating the former at home in 2008.
Barbados and Mexico are the other countries that will contest the men’s segment and while they’ve not been as successful as the other nations, the significant incentive of a World Cup berth at stake could instigate determined performances from them.
Host Guyana has gradually become a serious contender following some inspiring performances during their three appearances at the event with results of a 4th place finish in 2005, fifth place in 2010 and their best showing, 3rd place in the last competition held in 2014 in Montevideo, Uruguay.
While all the teams are legitimate contenders, Canada is still the country to beat judging from their overwhelming record of four golds from six appearances.
On the distaff side in addition to the seven above mentioned nations, Uruguay round out the competing teams.
Uruguay has been the surprise of Pan American hockey in recent times moving up the world rankings and made the Indoor World Cup back in 2010. Argentina and Canada have each won the competition twice, while Trinidad and Tobago was victors in the inaugural Cup in 2002.
The Guyanese women have not had the experience of playing as a national team in indoor competitions, but have made positive strides at the outdoor level in the past decade.
The DMWF, however, has provided valuable understanding of how the game is played at the indoor level and this familiarity will make them formidable opponents against any team, especially in front of home support.
While most of the teams may not have named their travelling squads as yet, a source closely associated with the Championships disclosed that the best known Caribbean player T&T’s Kwandwane Browne is coming.