THE Global Technology-sponsored team last Sunday won the Guyana Hockey Board’s, Stag Beer-sponsored Seven-a-Side tournament which was contested at the St Stanislaus ground, Carifesta Avenue.Apart from winning the tournament, the team also took home a share of the $100 000 first prize and two cases of STAG beer, while the runners-up 704 Sports Bar took home silver medals, $20 000 and two cases of STAG beer.
Although staged in 2016, this tournament was the 2015 version which was postponed due to weather, but the club intends to stage its 2016 edition later this year.
Hikers will now turn their focus to prepare for their Junior Indoor Tournament also to be staged later this year.
In the final of the tournament, the much anticipated game saw 704 Sports Bar and Global Technology ended after a first-half blitz, led by Global’s Jamarj Assanah, who scored in the 6th and 7th minutes. Stefan King opened the proceedings in the 3rd minute. Allana McCullock put her side up four on the stroke of halftime with a penalty corner strike.
Jason DeSantos put his side further ahead in the first minute of the second half with a clinical strike. Although 704 Sports Bar created several goal-scoring opportunities they were all repelled by national goalkeeper Medroy Scotland to preserve his side’s 5-0 advantage to the final whistle.
In the crossover semifinals, both second-place teams turned the tables on their higher ranked counterparts with narrow victories. Global Technology upset Antonio’s Grille 2-1 through a Jason DeSantos double, while 704 Sports Bar got the better of Cell Phone Shack Plum 1-0 through a Mark Sargeant strike. In the third-place playoff Antonio’s Grille edged Cell Phone Shack Plum thanks to a Shane Samuels double.
In the round robin stage of the tournament Cell Phone Shack Plum was the only team to emerge with a perfect record of four wins from four matches, while Global Technology qualified for the semifinal in second place with 9 points. Elegance Boutique, C & F Meat Centre and AMP Air Conditioning ended on 6 points, 1 point and 1 point respectively to round out Group A. Antonio’s Grille dominated Group B to qualify as the top team with 10 points, while Global Technology qualified second on 7 points with Jai Signs & Designs, Java Coffee Bar and Sonic Boom ending on 5 points, 5 points and 0 point respectively.
The tournament attracted 100 of Guyana’s best male and female players that bullied off the year in fine style by representing 10 corporate sponsors in the one-day competition.
Group A comprised AMP Air Conditioning, C & F Meat Centre, Global Technology, Cell Phone Shack Plum and Elegance Boutique, while in Group B there were 704 Sports Bar, Antonio’s Grille, Jai Signs & Designs, Java Coffee Bar and Sonic Boom.
The tournament, which is unique to the local scene, is mixed in two ways. Firstly,
teams are made up of both men and women with the requirement that no more than three outfield players must be of the same sex and secondly the teams must be made up of a mixture of players from different clubs.