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.
Trisha Woodroffe in action
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.
Gabriella Xavier commanding a play back in 2019
“It was a challenge to get the young players to understand systems and team attack and defence concepts in such a short time, as there is no substitute for experience” Fernandes has said. “But these girls have the skills and hockey intelligence to be competitive.”
The team will face host nation USA in their first match on Friday 25th (tomorrow) at 11:30am. The USA are the defending champions, who represented the Americas in the last Indoor World Cup in Berlin, Germany. The USA is the top ranked Pan American team at #12 in the world, and will further benefit from competing on their home court, where the team has been encamped.
Guyana is the lowest ranked team in the competition at #31, with Argentina at #16, Canada at #18 and Uruguay at #22.
After their clash with the USA, the Guyanese ladies then face Argentina at 6:00pm the same day, before facing Canada and Uruguay respectively the following day. A
According to Fernandes, while he does not place a limit on the team’s potential, he considers toppling any of the four powerhouse nations to be a success.
The winner of this year’s IPAC would secure the spot to represent the Americas in the next Indoor World Cup, scheduled for Belgium in 2022.
The COVID-19 protocols for the competition unfortunately bar spectators from viewing the matches live. Matches will all be played at The Training Center in Spring City Pennsylvania, and will begin on Friday 25th June according to the schedule on the Pan Am website:
The full Guyana squad reads:
1. Abosaide Cadogan
2. Alysa Xavier
3. Gabriella Xavier
4. Ashley DeGroot
5. Trisha Woodroffe
6. Sarah Klautky
7. Madison Fernandes
8. Aliyah Gordon
9. Clayza Bobb
10. Marzana Fiedtkou
11. Makeda Harding
Coach: Philip Fernandes
Manager: Princessa Wilkie
