Guyana’s hockey teams will be looking to change their fortunes at this year’s Diamond Mineral Water (DMW) Hockey Festival which opens tomorrow evening at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
No local team has ever won the tournament now in its fourth year, but, with last year’s winners Toronto not returning to defend their title, the local teams could step up their game in an effort to capture the US$1000 first prize.
Everest Hikers men’s team came closest to winning the title on two occasions but stumbled at the final hurdle, the first time in 2004 when they lost to the Canadians, and the following year against Malvern of Trinidad and Tobago both in the finals.
The other two Guyanese teams Old Fort and Georgetown Cricket Club have both showed spark in their earlier matches but faded away when it really mattered.
GCC’s best showing was a bronze medal place in 2004, while Old Fort has fared worst.
The Guyanese ladies are also unfortunate local hockey pundits are optimistic that there will be a better showing from the local players following their recent exposure at the just concluded Caribbean Hockey Cup in Trinidad and Tobago.
GCC, losing finalists in 2005, will be looking to stop the Trinidadian teams who have been dominant forces for the past three years.
Both GCC and Everest ladies will be looking to curtail the Trinidadians this time around, but it will be an uphill task as they set their eyes of the $1000US first prize.
The Trinidad teams will begin arriving from this evening and according to local hockey officials all systems are in place for tomorrow’s opening. Some members of the Old Old Fort of the United States including former national Brian Hope and Ian Nicholson have already arrived in the country, while the other members of the team are due in this evening.
The Festival will get under way tomorrow with the national men’s Under-21 squad colliding with Malvern of Trinidad and Tobago in the opening match at 15:30 h.
The opening day’s action will feature four matches with the first scheduled to bully off at 15:30 h. The umpires for the day’s opener are Devin Hooper and Damon Woodroffe.
The other matches are defending ladies champions Raiders of Trinidad and Tobago against their countrywomen Malvern at 16:20 h followed by Everest Hikers against Old Fort men at 17:10 and GCC versus Notre Dame at 18:00 h.
There will be a formal opening reception later in the evening at DDL Head office at Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara. The local teams are currently fine tuning their training at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.The tournament’s main sponsors are Demerara Distillers Ltd., bottlers of Diamond Mineral Water and Ansa McAl Ltd., distributors of Carib Beer.
