The final 16 players of the Guyana girls Under-21 hockey team have been selected to compete in the 2025 PAHF Junior Challenge scheduled for Bridgetown, Barbados, from March 8-16, 2025.
The girls have been in training for several months and earlier this year had been narrowed to a squad of 23 players.
This final cut reduces the squad to the final 16 who will compete in Barbados.
Among those selected are four overseas-based players, all of whom grew up in Guyana but are now studying abroad.
Those are Sarah Klautky, who was selected as team captain, Charlia Webb, Georgiana Fernandes and Madison Fernandes.
Klautky and the Fernandes cousins were both on the 2023 selection, which participated in the Junior Pan American Championships, finishing fifth.
Defenders Kirsten Gomes, Kazaquah Uzzi and Solana Crumb-Ewing, along with midfielder Clayza Bobb and striker Makaylah Poole are all returning players of the last Under-21 team who will compete again this year in Barbados.
Among the newcomers, in addition to wing/midfield Webb, are strikers Keitana Percival, Rebecca Ferreira and Africo Blackman and defenders Tinashe Henry and Sara Matthias.
Both goalkeepers Sarah Harry and Kendra Gordon will also be making their debut.
According to Head Coach and President of the Federation, Philip Fernandes, the team is expected to give good account of themselves.
Five players have benefitted from competing with the senior team in Bermuda last year and will make up the core of the midfield through Captain Klautky, Clayza Bobb and Madison Fernandes.
Teen phenom, Makaylah Poole and defensive stalwart Kirsten Gomes also bring senior international experience.
Of the newcomers, Fernandes is excited by the speed and high energy brought by most of the new players which he hopes would result in higher scoring results for team Guyana, an area which has been troublesome in the past.
The players now enters the final two weeks of training and are focused on fine tuning the set pieces of the game.
The Guyanese begin the tournament on March 8 against Guatemala before facing Mexico, Puerto Rico, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.
A spot in the final qualifies team Guyana for the 2025 Junior Pan American Games being hosted by Paraguay in August.
The full squad reads:
Goakeepers: Sarah Harry, Kendra Gordon
Defenders: Solana Crumb-Ewing, Kirsten Gomes, Tinashe Henry, Sara Matthias, Kazaquah Uzzi
Midfielders: Clayza Bobb, Madison Fernandes, Sarah Klautky, Charlia Webb
Strikers: Africo Blackman, Georgiana Fernandes, Rebecca Ferreira, Keitanna Percival, Makaylah Poole
