GHB President rolls out 2017 calendar of events

By Romario Samaroo

President of the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) Philip Fernandes, spoke to Guyana Times Sport and laid out a host of activities that the board will be looking to complete as the year progresses at both the indoor and outdoor levels.
According to Fernandes, the year will begin when the GHB collaborates with Bounty Farm Limited and Antonio’s Grille to host the traditional Bounty/Antonio’s Grille One Day Outdoor hockey tournament this Sunday at the National Stadium, Providence.
The event which began back in 2009 is now a tradition that is maintained at the start of the hockey season as the GHB President pledged to have more attention placed on outdoor hockey in 2017 having admitted that outdoor hockey did not benefit from the same fortunes as the indoor version in 2016.
In the month of February, the GHB will be venturing into their second division league; again this league will be an outdoor version of the game. Fernandes articulated that this division is integral to the development of the sport as it provides the next generation of players who will be taking over the sport as the years go by. A lot of young prospects will be aiming to make a good showing at this competition in order to catch the eyes of their club selectors and hopefully be drafted to the senior team.
Also in February, the GHB will be introducing the first ever Under 14 four-a-side indoor league. This is particularly important for the GHB because this will be the future of the sport and potentially identify the prospects for the next two editions of the Pan American Games. The competition which will be held across various schools auditoriums in the country, according to Fernandes was strategically planned for February as it fits into the international calendar of events.
In his explanation of the competition, Fernandes said the Under 21 will feature in the Pan American Games, then the Under 18 will move up and it is nice to have a new crop of athletes coming beginning with the Under 14s. This competition will run into March and April.
In March, the action will see the first division league taking shape with the top guns preparing for the competition that will be before them when they clash in two indoor tournaments in May. The ladies league will also be played in March.
In July, the GHB will be hosting a coaching clinic as well as the junior summer camp which will run into August.

October and November will feature the two most anticipated tournaments of the calendar year as the GHB host the GTT indoor tournament and the Diamond Mineral Water Indoor Hockey Festival. Both of these events are expected to take place at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue with the Diamond Mineral Water International Festival featuring teams from the region and North America.
Stern competition will be expected from the various clubs across the country with Hikers and GCC renewing their rivalry for the top club in the country. GCC Pizza Hut women have had the upper hand over the Woodpecker Hikers of recent while the Pepsi Hikers remained undefeated in 2016, GCC Bounty will be aiming to change that this season.
Old Fort, Saints and Phoenix are all ready to take up the challenge and bring the competition to their opponents and hopefully secure a few titles.
A number of young players have already been earmarked to step up and take the game by the collar. Among those expected to light up the year are Jamarj Assanah, Ato Greene, Aroydy Branford and Shane Samueles as well as Robert France for the Pepsi Hikers while the likes of Eric Hing, Devin Hooper, Rahim Oliver, Dwayne Scott and the Fernandes brothers are those who shall be leading their sides.
In the ladies Division, the Xavier sisters, Rebecca and Gabriella, Kerensa Fernandes, Vanessa Pires, Tiffany Soloman, Aliyah Gordon, as well as Dacia and Tricia Woodroffe are the girls who will be spearheading the attack for Pizza Hut GCC as Woodpecker Hikers have Laticia Chung, Nicole Eastman, Kenisha Wills, Maria Munroe and others to take them to more silverware this year.