Hockey Fever!
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| Planet Field Hockey |
March 8, 2001 
The Jamaica Observer
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PAUL BURROWES, Observer Staff Reporter
THE Sunshine Girls, Jamaica's national female hockey team, will today launch their quest for World Cup qualification in the inaugural Women's Americas Cup, which gets under way at the Mona hockey field in St Andrew.
Seven countries, including Jamaica, are taking up the challenge for the Cup and the winners will secure their place in the 2002 World Cup in Perth, Australia.
The next top three teams earn invitations for another World Cup qualifying tournament in France in September this year.
Teams taking part are: Argentina, Canada, Mexico, Uruguay, United States, Venezuela, and hosts Jamaica.
Jamaica tackle Venezuela at 7:30 pm today, one hour and 30 minutes after the opening ceremony. The first game of the competition begins at 2:00 pm between Uruguay and Canada, while at 4 o'clock United States face Mexico.
Jamaica's female hockey team has had a distinguished international record. The 'Sunshine Girls' -- so dubbed by sport minister, Portia Simpson Miller -- were gold medallists at the 1990 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Mexico.
They also mined silver at the 1993 CAC games in Puerto Rico, and were bronze medallists at the 1998 CAC Games in Venezuela.
But those achievements will not account for much for the Jamaicans this evening, especially against a young Venezuelan outfit which will be pushing its luck.
"We have nothing to lose and we will be taking a lot of risks," Venezuelan coach, Imako Puco, said yesterday.
"The team is not aggressive and our forward line is not at its best, but we will not be conservative and will only improve at all levels and expect some surprises," said the Venzuelan coach, who has been in charge of the South American team for the past three years.
The Venezuelans are possibly the youngest team in the competition, with an average of 21 years, and their youngest player is 15-year-old Baldrica Avalos.
This will be only small comfort for the local girls, whom national women's coach, Dr Michelle Holt, consider an unknown quantity brimming with talent.
"We are an emerging team, we have talent, but that is not enough as there are a number of other requirements.
"We are at the start of trying to build a programme to help us to qualify for the next World Cup in 2006," the former national player said.
"I think it is very good that at the beginning of this campaign we meet with three World Cup teams (Argentina, Mexico, and United States) and for the players to see how they operate, and see the level and commitment that is required.
"From then we proceed to build our programme with these players, but the sky is the limit for the players, some of whom are experienced, and we can do very well based on talent alone," Dr Holt explained.
"However, we do not know what we capable of. We are an untested quantity and the tournament serves as a measuring stick. If we are good enough, we will qualify," she asserted.
Meanwhile, president of the Jamaica Hockey Federation, attorney-at-law, Carol Sewell, said yesterday all was practically set for the Americas Cup.
"Preparations for the tournament are 95 per cent complete. We are happy that the articificial turf is laid and that the actual base seems to be holding up very well.
"The teams are satisfied with the turf and with watering, I think we will have excellent matches.
"The lights are in place and overall we look forward to having a very good tournament for March 8-18," she observed.
Jamaica team: Carla Thomas (captain), Dana-Mae Crawford (vice-captain), Kadene Brown (vice-captain), Tameka Bourne, Nicole Grant, Andrea Allen, Christine Barclay, Azra Blythe, Tasha Cooke, Monique French, Stacy Ann Jones, Lori McIntosh, Chantel Russell, Sharee Russell, Annmarie Smith, Camille Wallace, Karen Wilson, and Sophia Wilson-Cooper.
The Jamaica Observer
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