T&T senior women hockey teams face the possibility of having to play their Pool B opener against the USA at the 2022 Pan American Hockey Cup in Santiago, Chile scheduled for 3.15 pm on Wednesday on little rest time or having the match postponed.
This as the second batch of players on both senior women and men teams had their American Airlines flight from Miami, SA delayed on Monday afternoon and only left around midday on Tuesday for Chile with an estimated arrival time of 10.55 pm last night.
So far, only seven members of the women's team inclusive of two goalkeepers are in Chile after travelling via Panama City on Saturday along with some members of the senior men's team as well, and with the match against the Americans carded for today, it is expected that members of the T&T women's technical staff will make an official request to have the match postponed to give the players the much-needed rest time.
Concerning the Covid-19 protocols, all members of the senior women's team returned negative PCR test results before their departure and will not need to quarantine.
Guardian Media Sports was informed on Tuesday by a person who is close to the team but does not want to be identified: "It seems like déjà vu for some of the players and technical staff as the junior teams were caught up in similar situations with regards to travel arrangements for the Junior Pan American Tournaments in Peru last August. Back then the junior teams had to remain in that country for almost a week after the completion of the competition due to poor travel arrangements, and now with the late bookings of flights once again, they are back in a similar situation again.”
Last Friday, the Ministry of Sports and Community Development via a media release gave the T&T Hockey Board (TTHB) TT$1,611,787.00 in financial support to assist with the participation of the senior men's and women's teams for the tournament which runs from January 19-30.
Before departure on Sunday, the “Calypso Stickwomen” who will also meet Peru on January 21, and Canada two days later with both matches flicking off at 1 pm in pool play. The women's team was forced into one late change with the withdrawal of Shania Gajadhar, who was replaced by Nicole Whiteman.
Three-time winners Argentina, host Chile and Uruguay are in an all-South American Pool A following the withdrawal of Mexico which forced organisers to re-arrange the groupings.
T&T was originally grouped with Argentina, Uruguay and Chile.
The 2022 Women's FIH Hockey World Cup will be the 15th edition of the Women's FIH Hockey World Cup, and will be held in Terrassa, Spain and Amstelveen, the Netherlands from July 1 to 17, 2022.
The top team at the end of round-robin play from each pool will advance directly to the main draw semifinals on January 27, while the second and third-placed teams in each pool meet in cross-over quarterfinals two days earlier to determine the two remaining semifinal qualifiers.
Both finalists and the third-place finishers in the Pan American competition which ends on January 29 will earn places at the16-team FIH World Cup.
The T&T appeared at the Pan American Cup three times previously in 2004 in Barbados when they ended eighth, and in 2009 when they placed fourth in Bermuda, and four years later they ended seventh in Argentina.
T&T Team: Shania De Freitas, Avion Ahston (co-captain), Amanda George, Anya Sealy, Tamia Roach, Saarah Olton, Samantha Olton, Kaitlyn Olton, Felicia King, Kimberly Young (co-captain), Gabrielle Thompson, Zene Henry, Brittney Hingh, Mia Otero, Arresia Sandy (goalkeeper), Talia Seale (goalkeeper), Naomi Sampson, NicoleWhiteman
Traveling Reserves: Tahirah Wynne, Sarah Sampson (goalkeeper).
Technical staff: Anthony Marcano (head coach), Ellis Chance (assistant coach), Jennifer Lander (manager), Teresa Lezama (assistant manager/videographer), Dennora George (masseuse), Kevin Mc Intyre (physiotherapist).
Women's schedule
January 19:
Canada vs Peru, 1 pm
USA vs T&T, 3.15 pm
Argentina vs Uruguay, 5.30 pm
January 21
Peru vs T&T, 1 pm
USA vs Canada, 3.15 pm
Chile vs Argentina, 5.30 pm