The Guyana women’s hockey team have suffered two unfortunate setbacks ahead of their Indoor Pan Am Cup (IPAC) opener today in Pennsylvania against hosts USA, as they lost Captain Gabriella Xavier and Sonia Jardine to Covid-19 and injury respectively.
This was disclosed by an official correspondence from the Guyana Hockey Board. The release informed, “Before the team could take the court for its first game however, Guyana suffered two significant setbacks with the late ankle injury of prolific striker Sonia Jardine and the contraction of Covid-19 by Captain Gabriella Xavier. The loss of two of the team’s top players will leave a huge void on the forward line and midfield as their experience will be difficult to replace.”
Head-coach Philip Fernandes expressed disappointment at the unexpected development, stating, “These girls have put in so much time and effort that it is unfair for them to be left out at this late stage. As far as the team goes, we will have to now rely on our young inexperienced players. While they are skilful and energetic, you cannot rush experience and it will be a challenge for them to play with the discipline and consistency under pressure that is required for this level of competition.”
