Latest update April 18th, 2025 8:12 AM
The other side of the Hockey Festival
Event is more than just ‘a competition’
A Hockey Crowd made up of mostly Guyanese players and fans enjoy the cultural music of tassa drums (front row) during the Caribbean Championships in Trinidad. The Hockey Festival in Guyana has created a similar atmosphere.
By Edison Jefford
It is either an acute vision or fortunate development that led the Guyana Hockey Board to integrate the cultural connotation of ‘Festival’ to the anticipated Diamond Mineral Water-sponsored International Hockey tournament.
There simply could not have been a better expression to balance a usually intense contest with the cultural activities of the event-the International Hockey Festival is more than just a yearly run-of-the-mill competition in Guyana.
The idea of what the event has become is one that fits into what international sport should demand, which is an atmosphere that creates various human networks besides building an inter-racial social community that is comfortable.
It would be an underestimation of the vision of the Hockey Board to say that they did not expect that to happen, but what the International Hockey Festival has grown to pulls what can be called a minority sport into the mainstream.
This is a premier event in Guyana and a huge accomplishment for a sport that is still to be recognised on the forefront of local popularity.
Other major sporting disciplines are yet to create a trademark event on their annual calendar.
Football has done so with the National League and Kashif and Shanghai; Cricket with the Inter-County Limited Over and Three-Day versions; Motor Racing with the usually mega November Meeting and Horse Racing with their events.
Athletics and Basketball are other major international disciplines but they are yet to make indelible marks locally with trademark annual events.
Basketball has the NLE tournament and the Inter-Ward, but those are to be developed.
Hockey has broken into illustrious company with the International Hockey Festival and it must be extremely encouraging for other minority disciplines in Guyana. Each local sport should have an annual trademark or premier event.
The vision of the Hockey Board has led them to a special competition that creates one of best ambiences of local sport at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. There is a definite festive atmosphere that is second to none in the sport.
Fund raising opportunities are created for clubs and there is usually always those ‘liming’ aspect that raises an awareness of Guyana’s cultural diversity.
That helps market the sport internationally as teams anticipate their return.
There is also that sport tourism feature of the International Hockey Festival that cannot in no way be subtracted from the general success of the tournament.
The Hockey Board will have much to celebrate from this year’s initiation today.
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