Harding to captain national U21 women’s hockey team

Multi-talented sportswoman Makeda Harding has been appointed captain of Guyana’s National Under-21 women’s hockey team to participate in the Junior Pan American Hockey championships next month in Barbados.

Harding who is also a National Junior squash player will skipper the 16-member team announced by the Guyana Hockey Board this week.

Jessica Mittelholzer and Empress Charles are the two goalkeepers named in the squad. The other players named are Kazaquah Uzzi, Alexcia Elias, Makaylah Poole, Georgiana Fernandes, Abosaide Cadogan, Julia Gouveia, Aliea Khan, Clayza Bobb, Sarah Klautky, Madison Fernandes, Solana CrumEwing, Haley Carpenter and Kirsten Gomes.

The national women’s players will be making their debut at the Pan American tournament which will be held from April 10-18 at the National Hockey Centre in Barbados.

Guyana will compete in Pool B with Canada, Barbados and Chile while Pool a will feature Argentina, Uruguay and USA. Guyana will face Canada in their opening encounter on April 11, to be followed by a clash against hosts Barbados the following day while their third Pool B match will be against Chile on April 14. The teams in Pool A are Argentina, Uruguay and United States of America (USA).

Philip Fernandes is the head coach of the team and he is assisted by Canadian-based Guyanese Jonathan Roberts, a former player of the Canadian national team.

Meanwhile, talented striker Hakeem Fausette has been appointed captain of the National Under-21 squad which was named a few weeks ago to compete in the Pan American men’s tournament which coincides with the women’s competition in Bridgetown. Eighteen players were selected by the Guyan Hockey Board and the other players named are Raoul Whittaker and Jamal Gaskin (goalkeepers), Baraka Garnett, Jabari Lovell, Daniel Woolford, Quinn Tobin, Warren Williams, Nandalall Persaud, Yonnick Norton, Shaquon Favorite, Samuel Woodroffe, Simeon Moore, Javid Hussain, Tahrea Garnett, Leroy Geer, Oshazay Savory and Vladimir Woodroffe.

Robert Fernandes is the Head Coach. Guyana’s men are grouped in Pool A with the United States of America, Barbados and Canada and will begin their campaign against the Americans on April 10.