Five T&T women hockey players have tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) yesterday and that meant that the team finished sixth overall at the Pan American Hockey Challenge Cup Tournament in Santiago, Chile.
However, by virtue of finishing among the top six teams in the group, the Calypso Stickwomen still earned the right to contest the next Pan Am Cup in four years time.
The team was down to face Uruguay yesterday at 1:30 pm in a fifth/sixth-place playoff match but it was eventually called off due to the positive tests.
Pan Am yesterday issued a release that said- According to ‘Tournament Regulations FIH Top Tier Outdoor Competitions, Appendix 16” and “Appendix 16- Pan American Cup Special Allowance’ dated 19 January 2022, for a team to continue in a competition they must have no more than three positive test results after the tournament starts.
As the requirements of this regulation can no longer be met, the following match has been cancelled- T&T vs Uruguay/5th-6th place (Match 12).
According to “COVID-19 Scenario Planning Regarding Competition Progression- 2022 PAHF Pan American Cup” the result of the match will be recorded as 5-0 victory to Uruguay. The final standing read T&T 6th, Uruguay 5th.
The five positively-tested players were placed in a seven-day quarantine at the same hotel as the other players, manager Jennifer Lander said on Thursday, noting that they also received words of encouragement on a regular basis from the other T&T players and staff in an attempt to encourage them.
“It was unfortunate. It wasn’t meant to happen like that but players from other teams were tested positive also. The good thing is that they still qualified for the next Pan Am Cup,” Lander told Guardian Media Sports on Thursday.
The T&T team has now won just one match in the five games. They went down 16-0 to the USA in the opener before shutting out Peru 2-0. In the other matches, they were hammered 13-0 by Canada; 11-0 by host Chile before losing by the fault 5-0 to the Uruguayans due to the positive tests.
Meanwhile, the team began leaving in batches last night as 13 players were scheduled to wing out for home, Landers said. The other batch will leave on Sunday.
The Avion Ashton-led “Calypso Stickwomen” was competing at the Pan American Cup for the first time since 2013, the youthful T&T ended in the third spot in Pool B with three points from four matches.
The team’s poor performances has been blamed on the fact that the players were not able to use the National Hockey Centre in Tacarigua because it is repairs for more than three years now and a timeline the team had to use alternative facilities such as the outdoor sand field at olice Barracks in St James and that affect the team’s preparations.
CONTINGENT
Shania De Freitas, Avion Ahston (co-captain), Amanda George, Anya Sealy, Tamia Roach, Saarah Olton, Samantha Olton, Kaitlyn Olton, Felicia King, Kimberly Young (co-captain), Gabrielle Thompson, Zene Henry, Brittney Hingh, Mia Otero, Arresia Sandy (goalkeeper), Talia Seale (goalkeeper), Naomi Sampson, Shania Gajadhar.
Travelling Reserves: Nicole Whiteman, Sarah Sampson (goalkeeper).
Technical staff: Anthony Marcano (head coach), Ellis Chance (assistant coach), Jennifer Lander (manager), Teresa Lezama (assistant manager/videographer), Dennora George (masseuse), Kevin Mc Intyre (physiotherapist).