…competing in Indoor Pan Am Cup
Coming off of a two-year hiatus from international competition, which can be attributed to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, Guyana’s National Women’s Indoor Hockey Team will get their feet wet for the first time tomorrow during the Indoor Pan Am Cup (IPAC).
The competition, which will be contested at the Training Center at Spring City, Pennsylvania, USA, will run over the weekend, from June 25th to 27th.
According to the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB), with training being suspended for most of 2020, the ladies resumed training under strict COVID-19 social distancing measures earlier this year, and have been working hard to make up for lost time.
“Of course, all countries participating would have experienced various levels of disruption, and so Guyana will not be the only participant needing to prepare a team in short time,” the GHB related through a missive.
The ladies have been training at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall under the guidance of head coach Philip Fernandes. Only five players remain from the team that contested the last IPAC, held for the first time in Guyana in 2017. Those players are goalkeeper Alysa Xavier, Trisha Woodroffe, Marzana Fiedtkou, Captain Gabriella Xavier and Aliyah Gordon.
Added to the team would be defensive stopper Makeda Harding; the young Spartan trio of Abosaide Cadogan, Madison Fernandes and Sarah Klautky; experienced defender Ashley DeGroot, and the baby of the team, Saints striker Clayza Bobb.
This is said to be the youngest ever squad to represent Guyana, but one that is packed with talent. Coach Fernandes is, however, very excited at the several teenagers in the line-up, as he feels that they are among the most talented players he has seen in recent years in the women’s programme, and they have responded well to the training.
