Guyana selects strong hockey squad for Junior Pan American Championships in Canada

After working out a plan to have its best players available, Guyana has selected what it believes to be a strong 18-player squad to represent the country at the Pan American Junior Championships set for Toronto, Canada from May 20-28.

The availability of the full-strength squad is being made possible through an arrangement between Guyana’s Ministry of Education Exams Division and the University of Toronto Athletics Department that will allow experienced national players Hilton Chester, Daniel Hooper and Kareem McKenzie to sit their CAPE and CXC exams during the tournament.

Mark Sargeant will captain the squad that will also include Andrew Stewart and goalkeeper Medroy Scotland.

The squad is also being strengthened by the return of striker Aroydy Branford from a stint at Bishops Storford in England.

It will also feature three newcomers in 14-year old goalkeeper Michael Hing, Jael Gaskin and Nyron Joseph.

The team will leave Guyana on Monday and the three players, who are sitting exams, will join them on May 19.

The team has been playing together since 2014 and eight of them were members of the senior national team which drew 2-2 with Olympic qualifiers Brazil, on their way to a semifinal berth at the Pan American Challenge in Peru last year.