T&T senior women’s hockey team will go into their fifth to sixth place playoff against Uruguay at the 2022 Women’s Pan American Cup at the Prince of Wales Country Club, La Reina, Santiago, Chile from 12.30 pm on Thursday with their objective for the tournament met.
This according to coach Anthony Marcano who before the start of the seven-team tournament which qualifies three teams to the FIH World Cup in Spain and Holland later this year had targeted a top-six finish.
A top-six finish at the Pan American Cup guarantees direct qualification to the next Pan American Cup without having to participate in the Pan American Challenge, qualifiers.
Last year, the national women’s team was forced to contest a four-team round-robin series in Lima, Peru against the host, Paraguay and Brazil at the end of which T&T went under to Peru 2-0 in the final as both teams qualified to the Pan American Cup.
Competing at the Pan American Cup for the first time since 2013, the youthful T&T ended in the third spot in Pool B with three points from as many matches behind USA (nine points) and Canada (six points).
This follows heavy 16-0 and 13-0 defeats at the hands of the USA and Canada respectively while blanking Peru 2-0 to exact revenge on their Pan American Challenge finals defeat.
The Avion Ashton-led “Calypso Stickmen” were then outclassed by Chile 11-0 in their quarterfinal to suffer a third double-figure defeat and with one match left to play against Uruguay, will be hoping to end their campaign with a positive result.
Commenting on his team’s performances during the tournament, an upbeat Marcano told Guardian Media Sports on Wednesday that he credited the gutsy displays in the face of numerous challenges faced inclusive of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said: “These ladies have shown true resilience during this tournament. Covid-19 is present and the ladies have seen representation for their country more important than the virus. They have struggled through adversity to be here, yet still the goal that was set for this tournament has been met.
“We targeted a top-six placement to allow the program automatic entry into the next Pan Aam Cup and these ladies have stood up and met their goal, now we must learn and take away from this tournament for the next step."
He added: “In the development of the team it means a lot as this guarantees some high-level games amongst the top teams in the region. It also allows for the future planning and to have this on our calendar and to put strategies and structures in place to compete properly at these games. We have been withdrawn from continuous high-level opponents and this has recessed the program's development. Now we are certain to meet these teams and prepare appropriately and set new targets maybe to be in the top four and not just top six, but this has to take place in the planning process."
The next major event for the Pan American region in the Central Ameriacn and Caribbean (CAC) Games which is carded for later this year and from which the top two finishers will qualify for the Pan American Games.
The T&T women were third placed finishers at the 2018 CAC Games in Colombia behind Cuba and Mexico after being crowned champions in 2002 and 2010, both times in Puerto Rico.
They have qualified to the Pan American Games six times, with the last being in 2011 in Guadalajara Mexico where they finished seventh of eight teams, only ahead of Barbados.
However, with the National Hockey Centre in Tacarigua repairs yet to be completed in more than three years and a timeline for its completion uncertain forcing the teams to use alternative facilities, Marcano was still elated that the team will have an opportunity to play international hockey even with limited preparations available.
“We are happy to have more high-level games as this will help the program in the future but without the proper facility, it will hamper the development process. I appreciate the dedication and effort these ladies have put forward with some of our players not being able to make the trip due to work commitments as employers are not always sympathetic to sports even when athletes represent their country and this affects the performance. But this group has stuck together during each game encouraging each other to perform at their best."
Looking ahead to the Uruguay encounter Marcano said he expects to have all his players available as they plan to give one big final effort.
“At this point, the medical staff have been working with all the athlete's 24/7 to ensure everyone is fit and ready to play. Recovery has been key after each match and we are managing this as best as we can to date and all are ready to play."