Perreira says artificial turf is vital for hockey survival … appeals to President Granger for immediate intervention
GHB president Philip Fernandes
GHB president Philip Fernandes

 

By Rajiv Bisnauth

THE lament for an artificial turf is well documented and its prolonged absence has severely hampered the development of hockey locally. Hockey now faces an uncertain future due to a shortage of hockey grounds and unless this situation is urgently addressed it could be the demise of a sport that brought glory to this country over the years.

Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira
Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira

Since the late 1980s the International Hockey Federation (FIH) had mandated that all international outdoor tournaments must be played on artificial surfaces but due to financial constraints the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) was unable to pursue the laying of an artificial pitch or to construct a hockey centre similar to other hockey-playing countries in the Caribbean and around the world.
Guyana is unable to host international outdoor matches due to the lack of an artificial pitch, a major setback for the sport’s development locally due to the FIH’s directive.
This has the country lagging behind the rest of the Caribbean countries like Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Jamaica who have moved considerably ahead of their Guyanese counterparts since they have acquired artificial pitches.
To this end, former Chairman of the National Sports Council, Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira, is appealing to President David Granger for his immediate intervention.
The 77-year-old Perreira, feels a fully developed hockey centre is vital in order for Guyana to move closer to the rest of the Caribbean countries, Central and South America and the rest of the world.
According to Perreira, the GHB has already earmarked 2.8 acres of land at D’Urban Park for the construction of the centre, with an overall cost of US$750 000.
Earlier in the year, president of the GHB, Philip Fernandes, contended, “It is very critical for hockey, for us to have a hockey home where we can develop a proper international playing surface.
Right now Guyana is at a huge disadvantage because “we are the only regional nation who compete internationally that don’t have an artificial pitch on which hockey can be played”. Fernandes had said.

 

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