Latest update December 4th, 2024 2:40 AM
Oct 02, 2015 Sports
Guyana’s national men’s hockey team departed on Wednesday morning for the Pan American Challenge in Chicklayo, Peru. According to a release from the GHB, the team is expected to take two days to reach their final destination, having to make connections in Trinidad, Curacao and Bogota Colombia, before arriving in Lima, Peru early Thursday morning.
Due to financial constraints, the team will then have to take a 14-hour bus ride to Chicklayo, where the tournament is being staged. The players then have one day to recuperate, before taking on Puerto Rico on Saturday, tomorrow at 12:00 hrs (local time).
They have a rest day on Sunday, before going up against Panama on Monday, October 5, at 10:00 hrs (local time). They then oppose the tournament’s top ranked team, Brazil, on Tuesday, October 6, at 13:00 hrs (local time).
The release added that if Guyana manages to finish in the top two of their group, they will advance to the semifinals on Friday, October 9, with the final scheduled for Sunday, October 11. This is the first time that the Guyanese men will be competing in an international outdoor competition in eight years. Guyana last competed at the Caribbean Cup and ALBA Games in 2007 where they won Bronze and Silver respectively.
Teams ranked outside of the top six in the Pan American region are required to play the Pan American Challenge to qualify for the Pan American Cup, scheduled for the USA in 2017.
Because of Guyana’s inactivity on the international scene over the past eight years it no longer holds a world or Pan American ranking. As a consequence the team had to commit to the monumental financial undertaking of raising the $8million tour budget, just to earn the chance of regaining an international ranking.
The team continues its fundraising drive when it returns, to pay off all outstanding debts. Although the team includes a few experienced players such as Robert France, long time captain Devin Munroe and England based Marvin Dannett, due to the eight-year gap, most of the squad have never played an international outdoor match before.
Young players Jamarj Assanah, Aroydy Branford, Mark Sargeant, Kareem McKenzie, Andrew Stewart and goalkeeper Medroy Scotland are expected to lead the charge of the next generation of exceptionally talented players making their international outdoor debuts.
The full squad is: Orland Semple, Stuart Gonsalves, Andrew Xavier, Mark Sargeant, Kareem McKenzie, Daniel Hooper, Medroy Scotland (GK), Shane Samuels, Robert France, Devin Munroe (C), Randy Hope, Rayon Branford, Jamarj Assanah, Aroydy Branford, Andrew Stewart, Hilton Chester, Ato Greene and Marvin Dannett. Manager/Coach – Robert Fernandes
Meanwhile, the team management and players would like to extend their sincere gratitude to the following entities who contributed towards making the tour possible and they are National Sports Commission, DeSinco Trading, GUYOIL, Woodpecker Products, Guyana Manioc Development and Continental Group of Companies.
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