AS an added interest in the annual Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Festival, four overseas teams have already indicated their interest in competing in the 2015 edition. They are Canada, the USA, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. This information came from president of the Guyana Hockey Board, Philip Fernandes.

He expects 2015 to be perhaps the biggest Festival since it was started some 11 years ago.
In the just concluded Festival, only the Carib Hockey Club out of T&T fielded a Veterans team. They also brought a number of junior players who formed the Renegades Unit in the Festival.
This year’s event was starved of foreign teams because of clashes in the international hockey calendar.
Fernandes said in the history of the Festival, there have been highs and lows with regard to the attendance of teams.
But this year’s low attendance was a blessing in disguise.
It has afforded the youth players, an opportunity to play in the festival, something they were unable to do in previous tournaments because of the number of visiting teams and not being able to make the cut for their senior teams.
“‘This is a positive for us because they have gained exposure and experience since we’re trying to have a junior development programme for boys and girls. It was a timely occurrence.”
The level of the tournament despite the lack of foreign teams was high, Fernandes noted.
“In fact it has been improving over the years because local teams have been winning titles in all divisions (men’s, women’s and veterans). In the beginning foreign teams would win the titles.”
The Hikers won the Men’s title for a 6th time, while their Veterans team defended their title. GCC Tigers also held on to their title, defeating their Spice team-mates in the final.
Local umpires at this year’s Festival benefited from a simultaneously-held three-day course, conducted by Pan American-certified umpire Constantine ‘Gus’ Soteriades.
The course dealt with the differences in application and interpretation of the rules by the locals.
“We started to see consistency and new application of the rules. If I can give an example, there was some element of leniency.
“In indoor hockey the ball is not allowed to come off the floor, but the umpires allowed play to continue if there was no direct impact on the game.
“The players were a bit puzzled when the games were allowed to run but they adjusted and we saw consistency,” said Fernandes.
The umpires were required to take notes during the games and discuss them during the course.

(By Leeron Brumell)