Pan Am victory for Govia

National hockey players Ron Alexander, left, captain Solomon Eccles, centre, and Jordan Vierra, show off the Pan Am Indoor trophy on their return home on Monday at the Piarco International Airport.
National hockey players Ron Alexander, left, captain Solomon Eccles, centre, and Jordan Vierra, show off the Pan Am Indoor trophy on their return home on Monday at the Piarco International Airport.

Trinidad and Tobago’s 7-0 win over Argentina, in the men’s final of the 2017 Indoor Pan Am Hockey Cup at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Georgetown, Guyana on Saturday, has been dedicated to coach Raphael Govia, whose father Winston passed away last week.

So said team captain Solomon Eccles, during an interview upon the team’s return home on Monday, at the VIP Lounge, Piarco International Airport.

Asked if Govia’s departure from the team, midway during the tournament, affected the team or spurred them on, Eccles replied, “It dealt with some of us mentally but, at the end, he was always on Whatsapp letting us know that he was here with us.

“He was sending video for us and keeping us in the loop, although he was in a grieving time,” added the TT skipper. “We actually told ourselves we needed to win this for ‘Raphie’, our coach.”

The TT team had a 100-percent record entering the final, and they booked a spot at the Indoor Hockey World Cup in Berlin, Germany next February with a rout over the highly-rated Argentines, courtesy of two goals each from Mickell Pierre and Akim Toussaint, and one apiece from Eccles, Marcus James and Aidan de Gannes.

“We went through the tournament undefeated and every game was a challenging one,” Eccles admitted. “We had a really good plan. Our coaches did their work at nights and we came out victorious. It was really good for us.”

Eccles noted that the togetherness between the TT players proved vital during the tournament. “The camaraderie what we had, we were like brothers. There was no segregation. Everyone was like one unit, a well-oiled machine.”

As far as plans between now and the World Cup is concerned, Eccles said, “How it is here, we wouldn’t really go into a camp. I don’t think it’s possible financially but we would probably just go back to our respective homes, play with our respective teams and, from there, we’ll just continue training for the national team two or three times a week.”

What memory stood out for him the most at the Indoor Pan Am Cup? “The final game,” the 34-year-old replied. “That victory, it was seven-nil we defeated Argentina, a team that we have never beaten. That was the most memorable time for me.”

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