HOCKEY: Training squads named for Canadian Indoor Series

The Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) has selected its training squads for the indoor series scheduled for Toronto, Canada, from March 22 to 24.

Both the male and female national teams have been invited by Hockey Canada to compete in a four-team competition as part of both countries preparations for the 2020 Indoor Pan American Cup.

The GHB has already kicked off its 2019 national programme of activities with the indoor developmental men’s team tour of Trinidad and Tobago, where they placed fourth in the Ventures and third in the UWI Indoors.

President of the GHB Philip Fernandes explained the board’s approach to selection of the squads.

“Consistent exposure to the intensity of international competition is an area we have identified as lacking in the development of our national players. So opportunities like these have to be used to invest in the players that will benefit most from the experience. We have decided to select young squads of predominantly under 30 players who will be around for the next two to three Indoor Pan American Cups, in 2020, 2022 and 2024. There are still a few experienced players included in the squads to provide leadership, but this tour is about exposure. Later this year we will be competing in the outdoor Pan American Challenge and the selection for those teams will be strictly performance based, since it’s a continental tournament where we earn world ranking point,” Fernandes explained.

Some members of the indoor developmental men’s team that competed in the Ventures and UWI tournaments (Warren Williams, Nandalall Persaud, Samuel Woodroffe and Nickel Ashby) have indicated that they are unavailable for squad selection due to their academic commitments leading up to their CSEC examinations.

26-member Women’s Indoor Training Squad: Latacia Chung, Minsodia Culpepper, Nicole Eastman, Marisha Fernandes, Marzana Fiedtkou, Trisha Woodroffe, Alysa Xavier(GK), Gabriella Xavier, Abosaide Cadogan, Madison Fernandes, Briawna Gordon (GK), Makeda Harding, Sarah Klautky, Jessica Mittelholtzer (GK), Dacia Woodroffe, Kezia Chinian, Tekeisha Deleon, Donyale Nurse (GK), Mariah Seegobind, Charlia Webb, Aneesa Permaul (GK), Kenisha Wills, Julia Gouveia (GK), Candace Glen, Bushani Kaladeen and Akeaba Singh.

23-member Men’s Indoor Training Squad: Medroy Scotland (GK), Michael Hing (GK), Steven Xavier, Mark Sargeant, Kareem McKenzie, Meshach Sargeant, Robert France, Rayon Branford, Andrew Stewart, Jamarj Assanah, Aroydy Branford, Leon Bacchus, Tivesarid Garnett, Shomere Garnett, David Williams (GK), Paul D’Andrade (GK), Jael Gaskin, Omar Hopkinson, Dominic Alleyne, Stefan King, Hilton Chester, Hilmar Chester and Troy Hodge.