22 teams to compete in Diamond Mineral Water Hockey Festival

Aiming to bridge the international gap with local players, the Guyana Hockey Board has launched the 19th Diamond Mineral Water Hockey Festival, which is set for play from November 28 and is expected to fill the National Gymnasium with glimpses of spectacular hockey.
The festival will see the participation of four male international teams with three from Trinidad – TT Defense Force, Queens Park, TT Police and one from Canada – Toronto along with four teams locally – Pepsi Hikers, Old Fort, Saints, and Bounty GCC, while in the female category, two international teams will see two teams from Trinidad – George United and TT Police, along with GBTI GCC, Old Fort and Saints, who are locals.
The Men’s Over-35 Division welcomes Fatima and Queen’s Park of Trinidad and Toronto Lions of Canada to challenge GCC and Hikers, while in the Men’s Over-45 Division, teams Old Fort and GCC will battle Fatima and Carib out of Trinidad.
President of the Guyana Hockey Board, Phillip Fernandes, in brief remarks emphasized that credit must be given to organizers over their years and the tournament’s impact.
President Fernandes said, “We began this festival back in 2004, and we have only missed staging for three years. So, one was in 2010 due to renovations of the Sports Hall, and at that time the Gymnasium floor was unsuitable.

“And then the other two occasions were during the COVID pandemic, which would be 2020 and 2021. The fact that we can still be staging this festival after so many years is a credit to all those involved. With the absence of an artificial pitch for the outdoor game, this festival keeps hockey alive and keeps our athletes exposed to foreign competition, which is so critical for the development and sustenance of the game.
“We have hosted teams from Canada, the USA, Trinidad, and Barbados over the years, and with the recent success of our Masters team at the Masters Indoor World Cup, some attention is now being paid by teams further afield.
“As far as hockey goes, I believe our sport has been largely overachieving, given our conditions; and in fact, this year’s success was among the most challenging, and so the most rewarding.”
Fernandes also announced that Umpire Ayanna McLean would be officiating at the festival and would be in a capacity to guide the local umpires.
“Ayanna McLean is a hockey umpire from Trinidad and Tobago and a former defender for the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s National Team. She is the second person from the Caribbean to be qualified to umpire at a World Cup or Olympic tournament, after Roger St. Rose, and the first woman to do so. Ayanna has done what no other hockey umpire in the region has been able to do, which is officiated in 100 international games. She follows in the footsteps of her mother Cheryl McLean, who has been a renowned umpire in the region and a visiting umpire from Trinidad in past versions of the tournament. So, we are very excited to have Ayanna here, because she’s a world-class umpire, very well recognized, and she’ll be here not only to officiate games herself, but also to guide the young umpires in the tournament, and that sort of thing.”
He also declared that the games would be streamed live by Enet, providing for international audience to view the Games while showcasing Guyana’s tourism and marketing of the sport.
The President said, “We have been able to showcase our sport to larger audiences than is possible in local tournaments. The high levels of skill and competition have no doubt left lasting impressions in the minds of some of our youth. This we hope will be a necessary catalyst to stimulate further interest in the sport, especially at the junior level.
“This year, thanks to ENET, we will be streaming matches live, which will provide an opportunity for an international audience. This is an important step in marketing our festival to teams of nations who may not have visited Guyana, and will go a long way in showcasing Guyana as a sports tourism destination, much like the large cricket competitions have been doing.”
DDL Marketing Executive Larry Wills, also speaking at the launch, emphasized DDL’s commitment to sports, and expressed hope for the games to get good support from the public. Wills said, “So it is one that we started many, many years ago; as Philip mentioned, 19 years ago, and it’s one that we’re proud of and one that we will continue to support. You know, at Demerara Distillers Limited, we really try to do as much as possible for sports in Guyana, whether it’s a grassroots program or, you know, a program for adults to engage in and develop their talents more; especially the Demerara Mineral Water Hockey Tournament, where we have foreign teams coming in. So, we’re happy to be a part of this.
“We will continue to be a part of it. I trust that, you know, you guys will continue to support us as the media. We hope that we’ll have great support from members of the public coming into the Gymnasium to watch the games. Let us just have a good time, and support the teams participating.”
The tournament is made possible by sponsorship from Demerara Distillers Limited, Ansa McAl, ExxonMobil, Republic Bank, Bounty Supermarkets and Sterling Products Ltd; Ministry of Youth, Sport & Culture, and the National Sports Commission.