OVER 100 athletes competing in three different sports disciplines, at one venue on one day, satisfied spectators and a smiling Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Marketing Director.  This was the scene at the end of the inaugural Digicel sponsored Triple Sports Fiesta at the National Gymnasium on Saturday. The smiles on the faces of Gregory Deen and Jacqueline James, Digicel’s CEO and Marketing Director respectively, expressed the successful story for the day’s activities, which saw Cheetah Girls, Achievers, Georgetown Cricket Club’s (GCC) Flora and Old Fort emerging victorious over their respective opponents.
Some of the best clubs that are affiliated to the Guyana Netball Association (GNA), Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVF) and the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) respectively, battled for supremacy, bringing the crowd to life with their deft strokes, powerful spikes and smooth stick movements.
The day began with Cheetah Girls, made up of players who found it difficult to make the national netball team known as the Golden Girls, taking on their national opponents and certainly  showed that they deserve a national call up the next time around, with their dominating play.
Angeline Mc Carthy got a game high 20 points from 29 attempts for Cheetah Girls who romped to a humiliating 44-9 victory over their national opponents, receiving support from Renea Anderson who got 16 points from 23 attempts and Shonette Estwick 6 points from 11 attempts.
For the Golden Girls, who are preparing to compete in the American Federation of Netball Associations tournament to be held in Trinidad and Tobago next month, Kristy Roberts and Samonica Fanfair scored 6 and 3 points respectively.
The volleyballers took the court and following their respective victories over Port Mourant Training School (PMTS) and Jaguars, Castrol Strikers and Achievers earned the right to battle for supremacy in the Fiesta.
Superb serving from Dexter Hoppie saw Castrol Strikers raced to an 8-0 and 16-3 lead at the two mandatory timeouts in the first set.
But when play resumed after the second mandatory timeout, some superb digging, blocking and spiking from the Goed Fortuin, West Coast Demerara based Achievers, brought the crowd and game to life before they lost the first set 25-22.
Achievers took the second set 25-13, before they lost the third one at 22 and rebounded to take the fourth 25-19, forcing the game to a fifth and final set, which went for 15 points.
Throughout the contest, Achievers’ Randy Adams was digging brilliantly to keep his side in the game, while his powerful spikes, which had a thunderous like sound when the ball cannoned into the floor, exemplified his playing ability.
Despite the tactical prowess of Castrol Striker Ian Wills, Adams and his teammates refused to let up on their never say die attitude in the fifth and final set, which they won 15-9, to take home the top prize, while at the same time, maintain their supremacy on the local volleyball fraternity.
There is no debate as to who is the better female hockey team in Guyana, since the GCC Flora girls who have defeated all their opponents placed before them, maintained that supremacy last Saturday night with a disciplined and commanding victory over Hikers.
Gabriella Xavier got a double in the 10th and 24th minute of play for GCC Flora, while Kerensa Fernandes scored another in the 37th minute, to pilot their team to a 3-0 victory over their opponents who played the final 10 minutes without a custodian, opting to use a kicker back instead.
The final matchup for the night brought together Hikers male team, who were looking to avenge their female counterparts’ loss,  and Old Fort in what was called an unofficial ‘Champion of Champions’ clash, since they both won recent competitions hosted under the auspices of the GHB.
While Old Fort’s strike line which was led by Chris Low-Koan, Jason Dos Santos and Askofu Simon tormented Hikers’ defence, their custodian Tony Cole along with Aderemi Simon, denied Hikers on several occasions, with Cole denying Robert France from scoring three times in the space of two minutes, by throwing his body in the path of the ball.
It was Aderemi Simon, who having worked his way through the Hikers lineup with some magical stick work, breaking the deadlock in the 7th minute with his goal, one that Old Fort defended sternly to take the lead at lemon time.
When play resumed, he found an unmarked John Abrams who threw himself prostrate on the playing area, to steer the past into a vacant Hikers goal in the 24th minute which was followed three minutes later by Dos Santos’ goal, following some good stick work from Low-Koan.
With the scoreline reading 3-0 in favour of the reigning GHB/Diamond Mineral Water Indoor Festival champions, Hikers, who recently won the Bryden’s Indoor tournament, opted to continue the contest without a goalkeeper, using the services of the experienced Robert Fernandes as kicker back.
It was a ploy they should have used from the opening whistle, as he defended sternly and intercepted passes with the greatest of ease to deny Old Fort from scoring any other goals, while at the other end, Shane Samuels pulled one back for Hikers in the 34th minute.
When the whistle sounded to signal the end of the contest, for which Old Fort won 3-1, the overall winner for the day’s event was none other than Digicel, who conceptualize and put together all the logistics for the first ever Triple Sports Fiesta in Guyana, which saw GVF president Lenny Shuffler along with James and Deen, assisting with the presentation of prizes.