GHB commences preparation for 2020 Junior Pan Am c/ships

The Guyana Hockey Board [GHB] concluded their U19 Boys Developmental Camp as they begin preparation for the Junior Pan American Championships in 2020. The two-week course was facilitated by national tactician Robert Fernandes and his assistant, senior international Jamarj Assanah.

It was attended by 36 hopefuls. Among the individual areas covered during the programme were elimination, defending, passing and receiving, 2v1s and goalkeeping and penalty corners. On the final day of the programme a tournament was staged.

“This camp is the first step in identifying some the players who will make up the national junior squad scheduled to commence training shortly for the 2020 Junior Pan American Championships,” a release from the GHB stated.

“I think the camp was a great success. Although some of the players may not have the skills needed at the moment, those things can be learned. What I did see was an abundance of astonishing athleticism and internally motivated individuals who have exhibited a hunger to become exceptional, those are things you can’t teach people. This makes me very excited to work with this group over the next two years,” added Fernandes.

The national junior boys training squad will be selected shortly while the junior women’s programme is also scheduled to commence in the near future. After putting up a notable showing in round one of the ongoing Pan American qualifiers in the Cayman Islands by walking away with three wins, Guyana endured a winless second day and are now out of the singles medal contention.

Nyron Joseph, who advanced to round two by defeating Jamaican Bruce Burrowes, went down to Timothy Brownell of the United States 4-11, 1-11, 2-11.

Guyana’s strongest emerging prospect Taylor Fernandes, though she lost, took a set off Giselle Delgado of Chile, losing 1-3. Fernandes, after taking the first set 12-10, surrendered the next three 211, 6-11 and 3-11.

Ashley Khalil, the other Guyanese to advance to the second round, went down to Antonela Falcione of Argentina in a hardfought contest 9-11, 12- 14, 11-13.

Guyana’s female number-one seed Mary Fung-A-Fat was on Sunday evening defeated by Camila Grasso also of Argentina in a fiveset duel 12 – 10, 3-11, 11-9, 13-15, 11-13 after being two sets up in her round one match. The Guyanese contingent will not turn their attention to the doubles and mixed doubles categories which begin today before turning their attention to the team events which is most important since their placing there will determine whether Guyana will be represented at next year’s Pan American Games in Peru.