Newly appointed senior national men’s hockey coach Darren Cowie says he thinks his team has drawn a favourable group for next January’s eight-team Pan American Cup Championship in Santiago, Chile.
On Tuesday, the senior “Calypso Stickmen” were drawn in Group B against North American foes the USA, Canada and Mexico for the competition which serves as the region’s qualifier to the 16-team FIH Odisha World Cup to be hosted by India in 2023.
The remaining four teams in the Pan Am competition, three-time winners Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru comprise Pool A.
Canada, winner in 2009 in Chile and Cuba on home soil in 2000, are the only other nations to have lifted the men's Pan Am Cup crown.
The “Calypso Stickmen” will flick off their campaign against the USA on January 13 from 3 pm followed by matches against Mexico on January 15 versus Mexico from 12.45 pm, and Canada, two days later to close out round-robin play.
The top two teams from each pool at the end of round-robin play will advance to the main draw semifinals on January 19, with the finals and third-place matches scheduled for two days later with the semifinal winners securing the two Pan American spots to the 16-team FIH Odisha World Cup which will be hosted by India in 2023
Speaking with Guardian Media Sports, Cowie said, "Even though Canada, USA and Mexico are ranked higher than us at present we usually give a good showing against them, but it will be a little tough with the cross-overs from the other group as placing second in your pool now only sets you up for a quarterfinal match, only the pool winners will qualify directly to the semifinals, with the second and third-placed teams now meeting in cross-over quarterfinals.
“So it does make it a little bit more difficult and challenging as no team would want to be beaten in any match, and it gives us a bit more impetus to want to top the group.”
Looking ahead to the matches, Cowie said he was very confident in T&T putting up good performances.
A former national Outdoor team captain Cowie added, “I think the guys will give a good showing of themselves but the toughest thing for us right now is that since we qualified in 2017 to this tournament it has been close to two years now due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic lock-down and ban on team sports that any of the senior guys based here at home have played any kind of serious hockey.
“So for the next two to three months, I have to ensure with the rest of technical staff that the players get back their touches and feel for outdoor hockey and not put too much pressure on them about the actual tournament, but more on individual play and team tactics between now and tournament time."
Reflecting on last weekend’s screening sessions at the Diego Martin Sporting Complex, Cowie said they went very well.
He added, “Actually as we had well over 30 players on each day while some couldn’t make both days and we just kind of went through some physical, technical and tactical aspects of the game.
“At the same time, we already had some guys we wanted to have on the training squad so again we selected a 45-man training squad as the idea is not just a training squad for Pan Am Cup next January but as part of a long-term programme that we are trying to build.
“So we have cast our screening and selection net wide to keep the 45 guys in a long-term programme that in a sense will aim to keep baselines, look and develop and progress in their physical, technical and tactical attributes.”
Last week, the T&T Hockey Board appointed Cowie to the head coaching position of the team with Dwain Quan Chan and Raphael Govia to serve as his assistants.
Cowie takes over the reign from former national goalkeeper Glen “Fido” Francis, who was overlooked for the post ahead of next year’s qualifiers.
He was recently in charge of the Under-21 men’s team which placed fifth at the recent Pan American Championships in Chile said has already flicked off his preparations with the team with screening sessions held last weekend.
Under the guidance of Francis, the national men's hockey team placed fourth at the last edition of the Pan American Cup in Lancaster, the USA in 2017 after a 3-0 loss to host USA in the bronze medal match.
Based on their top-six finish in the eight-team competition, T&T secured automatic qualification to next year's qualifiers. Francis also coached the team which claimed its best-ever bronze medal finish in Brampton, Canada in 2013 with a 3-1 defeat of the Americans in the third-place match.
Four years earlier (2009) in Santiago, Chile, Nicholas "Chico" Govia coached the men's team to the fifth spot, and in 2004, its other participation ended with a 2-1 loss to Chile in the bronze medal clash under David Francois in London, Canada.
