THE Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) has reduced its squad of 38 players to 24 after holding physical preparations and individual skills tests over a five-week period.According to the GHB president Philip Fernandes, the national men’s hockey squad was reduced from 38 to 24 players over the past weekend after having spent five weeks of training with a focus on physical preparation and individual skills.

The players were then put through a series of strength, endurance and skills tests before the squad was broken down. According to the coaching staff, the focus of the next five weeks will be on small unit play and learning new systems.
The squad will then be divided into teams to engage in a warm-up tournament before being broken down to 15.
The final team of 12 players will be chosen in the weeks leading up to the Pan American Indoor Cup scheduled for Montevideo, Uruguay from April 7 to 13.
The team’s management has embarked on an ambitious fund raising plan to accomplish the formidable task of raising the $6M dollars budgeted for the team’s participation in the tournament.
It will be remembered that in 2005 Guyana narrowly lost to the USA in the 3rd place playoff and placed 5th at the 2010 edition of the Indoor Pan American Cup.
This year’s tournament is a senior continental World Cup qualifier with the winning team earning an opportunity to compete at the highest level in the 2015 FIH World Cup.
The 24 players shortlisted are: Orland Semple, Kevin Spencer, Raphael DeGroot, Andrew Xavier, Eric Hing, Mark Sargeant, Medroy Scotland, Robert France, Devin Munroe, Randy Hope, Colonel Heywood, JamarjAssanah, Aroydy Branford, Rayon Branford, Andrew Stewart, Michael Harding, Shane Samuels, Laured Stewart, Jason Hoyte, Joel Hunte, Aderemi Simon, Jason DeSantos, Anthony Cole and Timothy Baker.