Guyana: Eight foreign teams booked for November hockey festival  x4
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| Guyana hockey |
October 15, 2004
Stabroek News
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By Michael DaSilva
Thursday, October 14th 2004
Eight overseas teams have confirmed their participation in the Guyana Hockey Board of Control's (GHBC) inaugural, Diamond Mineral Water International Hockey Festival, billed for the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall from November 25-28.
Addressing members of the media at the launching of the festival yesterday at the Georgetown Club, GHBC President Philip Fernandes said four female teams from Trinidad and Tobago - Ventures, Magnolias, Malvern and Checkers - are among the eight teams that have confirmed their participation.
This year, he said, will see the largest number of ladies' teams to visit Guyana since 1976.
The four teams will do battle with Guyana's Everest Hikers, GCC and Old Fort Hi Flyers.
The overseas men's teams that have confirmed their participation are: Malvern of Trinidad; Combermere School of Old Scholars of Barbados, Brooklyn All Stars of the US and a combined field hockey team from Toronto, Canada.
Fernandes said the GHBC is awaiting a response from the Chinese Association team of Trinidad, which is expected by today.
The local men's teams that will be participating are Everest Hikers, GCC and Old Fort Hi Flyers.
The winners of both the men's and women's categories will receive US$1,000, while the runners-up will cash in on US$500.
Fernandes, a national midfield player, said local club teams will use the National Indoor Championships slated for October 29 to 31 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall as a warm-up for the festival.
Fernandes thanked Demerara Distillers Ltd (DDL) for being the main sponsors of the Festival and the National Sports Commission (NSC) for the financial and other support it has pledged.
According to NSC Chairman Laurie Lewis, who was also present at yesterday's launching, the NSC will contribute $200,000.
Festival Coordinator Troy Peters said apart from financial aid, the NSC has also offered the loan of its bus and assistance with the preparation of the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall for the festival.
"When we announced this festival the National Sports Commission immediately came on board. Mr Laurie Lewis who is Chairman of the NSC is with us this morning, and this is a testimony of the NSC's involvement," Peters stated.
Lewis said he welcomed the fact that the GHBC has taken up the challenge to organise tournaments that will encourage overseas participation.
He noted the success of the recently concluded Central American and Caribbean Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships as well as the Kashif and Shanghai Football tournament in St Lucia.
However, he again lamented the fact that some national associations are still to put their houses in order.
Once they fail to do so, he reiterated they will not get any sort of assistance from the NSC. And he said while the NSC cannot do anything about it, he will advise the Ministry of Sport to intervene.
The NSC chairman said very soon he will be highlighting the deficiencies in certain associations. He said he can identify at least four associations that are delinquent.
DDL's Marketing Assistant Alicia Katadin noted the participation of female teams in the festival and said her company is happy to be associated with the tournament and the development of sports in general.
Peters said the GHBC had planned to promote the festival as a Caribbean event, bringing some of the leading regional clubs to Guyana, but it has gone beyond that since teams from the USA and Canada have confirmed their participation.
The former national hockey player said the GHBC's relationship with DDL goes back a long way. He noted two important areas of involvement with DDL - sponsorship for the Soca National Indoor Champion-ships and the outfitting of the National Men's under-21 team for the Pan American Junior Championships in Barbados in 1996.
"We also owe a debt of gratitude to renowned sports journalist/commentator Joseph `Reds' Perreira who has been the inspiration behind the venture. In fact he encouraged the GHBC to promote this festival in an effort to push the Sports Tourism drive in Guyana.
`Reds' is due in Guyana tomorrow [today] and we will be meeting to update him on progress made so far," Peters said.
According to Peters, the GHBC is still in discussion with a few other businesses with regard to financial assistance.
The cost of the festival is $2.5M and Peters said the response has been heartening.
The coordinator said a letter has been sent to Commissioner of Police Winston Felix seeking police involvement in a very big way, especially with regard to security and traffic arrangements.
Peters said the area of umpiring is also being looked at and the GHBC is gearing up to have local umpires and table officials equipped for the event.
Two of FIH's leading hockey umpires in the Caribbean - Trinidadians Suzie Gomes and Garth Baptiste - are expected for the National Indoor Champion-ships this month end. "While here, they will conduct training programmes for our officials and will return to officiate in the festival. We have contacted a leading airline for assistance in providing tickets for the two officials and we should get a response by tomorrow [today]," Peters said.
Meanwhile, he said the Guyana Olympic Association has pledged to provide medical personnel from its team of doctors in the event of injuries and medical emergencies.
"We see this festival as a way to give local hockey players much needed exposure and at the same time reclaim our status as a nation that is well equipped to stage international hockey events. Most of the teams we have been in contact with are eager to visit Guyana because of our past record and we want to put on a show that will stay in their memory for a very long time."
Peters said based on the response to this inaugural festival, it could become an annual fixture on the world-hockey calendar. "It has already been hitting the world hockey scene via the internet," Peters informed.
Deborah Lewis, a member of the festival's Public Relation Committee chaired the proceedings.
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