Fernandes pleased with Tigers performance

Dec 04, 2008 Sports

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– Team aiming for more success in 2009

GCC Tigers Head Coach Phillip Fernandes recently spoke with Kaieteur Sport following his team’s success at the just concluded Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Championships that was held at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Coach Fernandes, who also serves as the National Ladies Coach was asked to give his views on the team’s outstanding performance where they defeated the seasoned GOA unit from Canada to successfully retain their title.

Fernandes stated – “I am very pleased with the accomplishments of the GCC ladies team or Tigers as they like to be called.

Four years ago when the Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Festival was launched the GCC Tigers were the newcomers in a competition among 6 ladies teams, three of which were from Trinidad and three locally based.

The Tigers finished in last place, losing all of their matches of the competition. It was the beginning of a long and determined journey to the top.”

“Since then our ladies have improved their performance every year and have never taken their focus off the target of being one of the leading ladies hockey teams of the region.

Just one year after their debut against foreign teams our ladies made a dramatic improvement by sweeping aside all local teams and facing lone foreign team, Malvern of Trinidad and Tobago in the final.

They lost convincingly to Malvern once again; however, even though they had shown improvement, they had not yet reached the level where the could seriously challenge the Trinidadian clubs.

“2006 signalled the beginning of a change as GCC came closest to creating an upset victory when they narrowly lost to Ventures of Trinidad for the bronze.

It took sudden death penalty strokes to separate the two sides which was a marked difference from their clash two years before when GCC lost to Ventures by 6 goals.”

“During my 20 years of hockey, I could not remember a Guyanese ladies team defeating one from Trinidad, before GCC’s victory in the 2007 DMW Festival.

Although each of the three foreign teams proved difficult, GCC not only showed that they had improved to the point of becoming serious contenders, but exhibited an unparalleled desire and determination by coming from behind on more than one occasion to win matches during the competition.

GCC won the DMW Festival for the first time ever with a victory over the previous year champions Raiders of Trinidad.”

“Having won the DMW Festival at the end of 2007, the GCC Tigers travelled for their first tour as a team to Trinidad in January of 2008 to compete in the Ventures Indoor Tournament.

This would be a rude awakening for the girls and probably was partly responsible for their continued improvement.

GCC were stunned by the Trinidadians, losing all of their matches on a larger floor which was covered in smooth tile that was different from the wood or concrete on which they had played and practiced at home. The occasion was overwhelming for the Tigers who were reminded that there was work yet to be done.

“In November, at short notice, they travelled to T&T to compete in the Magnolias under-21 Indoor Tournament, 8 of our under-21 players were able to raise enough funds to compete.

Despite having an average age of 16 years old, our girls surprised all opposition by playing unbeaten in the competition and upstaging their older and more experienced counterparts.

This time the ladies were prepared for the different surface and space of the Trinidadian court and had made some tactical adjustments to their game.

There was no shortage of praise for our girls by the Trinidadians who never considered the GCC to be serious contenders as Guyana was one of the few nations unable to send a team to the Pan American under-21 Championship just one month before in Mexico.

“The 2008 ladies competition of the DMW festival suffered the disappointment of late withdrawals of some of the Trinidadian teams and the only foreign ladies entrant was GOA Reds of Canada.

Just at the beginning of this same year, the GCC ladies were in last place at the Ventures Indoor and sat in awe as they watched GOA battle top Trinidadian Club Magnolias in the final. GOA is a well-toured side that is certainly one of the top indoor ladies teams in the region.

“GCC lost twice to GOA in the pool round of this year’s festival until they managed to find the right formula to match them in the final.

It is clear when teams lack exposure, but has the talent, they seem to improve from game to game. I have seen this with our ladies national team and with the Tigers on this occasion.

It was by no means a match dominated by the eventual victors and in fact, were it not for some outstanding goalkeeping by MVP goalkeeper Alysa Xavier, the score could have been much different.

Nevertheless the young underdogs put in the performance of a lifetime to retain their title and signal their arrival as a genuine force in regional indoor hockey.

“I am even more pleased with the continuous improvement of the GCC ladies, which has been reinforced by so many of our visiting teams, coaches and umpires who have seen them grow each year of the DMW Festival, than I am with the actual results.

Their achievement does not stop at winning a game or a tournament, but extends far beyond that.
“The foreigners are high in praise, but they only know half the story.

If they saw the surfaces on which our local teams train and the inadequate lighting often tolerated for the lack of better alternatives then the magnitude of the task would be brought to light. This is not a problem that plagues only the GCC teams.

The same can be said for the Hikers men who have not only won the title for the second time, but did so with a brand of hockey that was unmatched in the tournament.”

“I am very proud indeed of the GCC Tigers and full credit must go to their effort and dedication to achieve this difficult goal.

Trinidad and the other nations in the region have talent, they have good coaches and understand the tactical intricacies of the game, they have better facilities that are also more available to them.

The difference therefore in my mind is greatly a matter of determination, dedication and good old fashion hard work.

Our ladies will improve again in 2009 and if migration does not take its inevitable toll then they will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.”

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