2025 PAHF Jr Challenge: Girls’ Hockey team gets much needed private sector boost

The Guyana National Under-21 Girls’ Hockey team received solid support from members of the private sector in their effort to raise the funding to participate in the Junior Pan Am qualifiers in Barbados this month. In addition to support from the Ministry of Sport and Guyana Olympic Association, the team secured its major sponsorship from Sabor, the local breakfast and lunch cafe that offers local and Caribbean cuisine with a latin flare. Sabor had been a sponsor of the team back in 2023 which was the last time that Guyana participated in junior international hockey.

Among the other corporate sponsors are C&V Shipping, which is a well-known shipping agency that facilitates cargo in and out of Guyana, Kestrel which is the Agent for the Chinese behemoth Cosco line along with other vessels, Moo milk which has taken the local market by storm and is distributed by Acado, King Ocean Line, one of the major lines plying the USA to Guyana route and John Fernandes Ltd, a long-standing supporter of sports in Guyana.

President of the Guyana Hockey Board, Philip Fernandes expressed great appreciation for these sponsors coming on board and underlined the fact that, without sponsors, very little can be achieved in amateur sports. Fernandes went on to state that he was present in a meeting with President Ali who commented on the role of the private sector in sport and encouraged administrators to explore these avenues more. This encouraged the Guyana Hockey Board to reach out and Fernandes was very complimentary of the willingness of these brands to support the girls hockey team. “There are not a lot of opportunities, especially for young female athletes, in sport and it is particularly heartening that companies can recognize this and offer the much-needed support that is necessary.
The team travels to Barbados this week and will face Guatemala in their opening match on Saturday morning at 10:00 hrs.