Guyana’s hockey players created history at the weekend, defeating their Trinidad and Tobago counterparts in the three category finals of the 14th annual Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Festival.
In the Men’s Open final, Pepsi Hikers outscored Queen’s Park 2-0 in a penalty shootout after they played to a 4-4 draw, while in the Women’s Open, GBTI GCC edged Ventures 3-2 on Sunday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
Guyana made it three in three with Old Old Fort topping Queen’s Park 4-3 in the Over-35 final.
In the Men’s championship game, Pepsi Hikers were indebted to keeper Jason Hoyte, who executed well between the uprights in the shootout, while Aroydy Branford and Jamarh Assanah produced the winning efforts by converting.
During regulation time, Hikers had assumed what looked like a comfortable 4-2 lead with twin strikes from Assanah and a singles from Assanah and Devin Munroe. However, Queen’s Park stormed back to level the scores and force the match into penalties.
GBTI GCC got an early advantage against Ventures, with Marzana Fiedtkou and skipper Sonia Jardine orchestrating a 2-0 lead. Ventures pulled one back before the halftime break when Kirsten Thompson converted a penalty.
Gabriella Xavier then sent GBTI GCC ahead 3-1 with a goal upon resumption, but Ventures were not going to go down without a fight as they closed the margin when Anya Sealy scored.
The tournament was coordinated by the Guyana Hockey Board and sponsored by Demerara Distillers Limited (Diamond Mineral Water), ExxonMobil and Ansa McAl Trading (Stag Beer).
It brought an end to another successful season for the Hockey Board, headed by businessman Philip Fernandes.
