Guyana to play Argentina, USA today at Pan Am Indoor Cup

Mar 19, 2024 Sports

Some members of Guyana’s Pan Am Indoor Hockey Cup team.

– Coach Samuels optimistic of Guyana’s chances

By Rawle Toney

Kaieteur Sports – Guyana’s men’s hockey team flicks off their pursuit of glory at the 2024 Indoor Pan American Cup today against the USA at 1:15 pm and Argentina at 6:15 pm in Canada.

The March 19-22 tournament will also feature Trinidad and Tobago and Canada, offering a chance to qualify for the 2025 Indoor Hockey World Cup.

Leading the team as captain is Robert France, alongside Medroy Scotland (GK), Paul D’Andrade (GK), Jarbari Lovell, Kareem McKenzie, Meshach Sargeant, Shakeem Fausette, Shaquon Favorite, Tahrea Garnett, Aroydy Branford, Jamarj Assanah, and Andrew Stewart.

After today’s matchups, Guyana will confront Canada on March 20 and wrap up round-robin play against Trinidad & Tobago on March 21, with the semi-finals and finals slated for March 22.

Speaking to Kaieteur News yesterday, Head Coach Shane Samuels expressed confidence in securing qualification, highlighting the team’s blend of youth and experience.

Shaquon Favorite, Jarbari Lovell, Meshach Sargeant, Tahrea Garnett, Paul D’Andrade, and Shakeem Fausette are all making their senior indoor debut for Guyana. Samuels emphasized that these young players represent the future of the sport.

In 2014, when the tournament was held in Uruguay’s Captain of Montevideo, Guyana finished third behind winners Canada and the USA.

They secured third place after defeating Argentina 2-1 on penalties in a thrilling match, following a 5-3 victory over their South American counterparts in the tournament’s opening game.

Samuels explained that, much like in 2014, the team maintains a balance of youth and experience. He stated, “The youth players from back then are the senior players now. So it’s a formula that has worked for us, and I believe that these young players we have now are very talented. So when you mix that with the guys who have been here before, it gives you a lot of confidence that we’re going to qualify.”

Touching on the team’s preparation since their arrival, Samuels noted, “We had a practice game against Canada, and we performed well, despite missing two of our players who joined us late. In the last minute of the game, we played without a keeper, experimenting with different scenarios, and that’s when they scored. So, I feel optimistic about our chances.”

The top two teams from the tournament will secure qualification for the 2025 Indoor World Cup.

Me'shach Sargeant, Medroy Scotland (GK), Paul D’Andrade (GK), Shakeem Fausette, Shaquon Favorite, Tahrea Garnett

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