THE Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) mourns the passing of long-time Honorary Secretary, Mr Elton Gregory Sills.  Gregory served as an administrator of hockey from as far back as 1997, serving with distinction as the honorary secretary of the GHB since 2001. Gregory was the longest-serving administrator on the current executive committee of the GHB and, apart from his very important function as secretary, he provided the sport with experience and vast historical knowledge of the sport.
Gregory began playing the game in Linden where he lived in his younger years and was one of a long list of outstanding players to emerge from the mining town.
He represented Guyana in International competition back in 1989 as a midfielder in the South American Championships held in Caracas, Venezuela, and was also an instrumental player for Mack’s Ace Hockey Club which ruled hockey in Guyana for several years in the 1980s.
After his playing days were over Gregory utilised his knowledge of the game as a coach, tasked with the challenge of coaching Guyana’s male junior national team in the Junior Caribbean Championships and the Junior Pan American Championships in 1992.
Under his guidance, Guyana won Gold medals in the Junior Caribbean Championships and he went on to further achieve success as a coach of the senior men’s national team for several years before retiring from coaching after his team’s creditable performance in the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1994 where they narrowly missed the bronze medal.
Gregory also served on several occasions as team manager for Guyana’s national hockey team with his last such appointment being as recent as the 2007 Caribbean Championships in Trinidad.
In addition to all these contributions, Gregory coordinated many junior summer camps and coaching courses locally and represented the GHB as a Council Member on the Guyana Olympic Association.
With his passing, the GHB has lost a great resource and friend who has surely made an impact on everyone in the current hockey fraternity and will be sorely missed.
May his soul rest in peace!