Local ladies champions Flora Georgetown Cricket Club continued to blaze a trail of success at regional hockey tournaments when they secured a semi-final placing at the just concluded Banks International outdoor Hockey Festival in Barbados.
With 10 teams contesting this year’s ladies competition, the Flora GCC ladies were placed in pool B along with Bajans for Real, UWI, All-stars and Deacons all of Barbados, and Big Apple Flickers of the USA.
The Guyanese dominated their matches against All-stars (6-0), UWI (1-0) and Bajans for Real (3-2), drew their clash with Deacons (0-0) and lost their only pool match to the Big Apple Flickers (0-2).
They eventually booked a place in the semi-finals but lost to four-time winners ABC.
The Flora GCC ladies found reading ABC a little more difficult than the alphabet and conceded an early goal from which they failed to recover.
Despite a heroic performance in goal by national goalkeeper Alysa Xavier, ABC secured a second goal to win the encounter 2-0.
Coach of the GCC ladies, Philip Fernandes who is also President of the Guyana Hockey Board said that he was pleased with the performance of his ladies.
“While it is not a reason to lose, I am proud of this achievement because it was the team’s very first outdoor hockey competition and their semi-final opposition boasted several ladies who play in the United Kingdom,” was his candid assessment.
GCC ladies team are the reigning Diamond Mineral Water Indoor Hockey champions following their success at the internationally staged tournament at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
The GCC Junior players were also successful at an International indoor tournament in Trinidad and Tobago last year.
Meanwhile, the GCC men’s team, playing in a 13-team competition won their three pool matches against DEBE of Trinidad (8-0), Bologna of Italy (2-1) and Dominion of Barbados (2-1), drew with All-stars and Do Badd Crew (1-1 each) and lost to eventual festival winners DSYDE of Barbados (2-0).
Despite only losing one match, the Bourda boys were edged out of the semi-final by one point due to their two drawn matches.
Fernandes said the Bourda side proved to be the best team on grass and their only defeat came on the turf where the players needed little more time to acquaint with the fast artificial surface.
“The GCC men raised their level of hockey on the international stage and were it not for a few blown chances could have easily made the semis and possibly won the tournament,” Fernandes opined.
The Banks Festival is now in its 25th year and remains the only consistent outdoor tournament in the region for clubs. Fernandes however is doubtful that his teams will return next year to try to improve on their performance due to the high cost of travelling to and staying in Barbados for a full week.
The top local hockey administrator is hopeful that one day an artificial pitch can be installed here in Guyana so that quality outdoor tournaments for overseas teams can be held.
