Caribbean flavour at Ventures indoor hockey on January 3

Defence Force men, Paragon women's and the Queen's Park veterans will be defending their respective titles when the 19th edition of the Ventures invitational indoor hockey tournament flicks off at the Woodbrook Youth Facility from January 3-7.

As many as 22 teams will participate across the three divisions – men's, women's and mixed veterans – with clubs from Barbados and Guyana also set to participate in the five-day event. After a two-year hiatus due to covid19, the invitational tournament returns with the University of the West Indies (UWI) Blackbirds being Barbados' first ever representative in the competition. The Blackbirds team will compete in both the men's and women's divisions.

"After the challenges posed by the pandemic, we are thrilled to bring back the regional element to our tournament, fostering connections and friendships beyond our local borders," said Cherill McLean, vice-president of the Ventures hockey club, via a press release on December 28. "The addition of the UWI Blackbirds from Barbados adds an exciting new dimension to the competition."

Guyana Cricket Club (GCC), Old Fort and Saints will be the three teams representing Guyana. Old Fort and Saints will participate in both the men's and women's divisions, with GCC testing their mettle in the women's and mixed veterans divisions.

With the addition of the Caribbean teams, the number of teams in the women's division have doubled from four to eight.

"The increased participation in the women's division is a testament to the dedication and talent of our female athletes," said Ventures president Jennifer Lander.

"We are proud to support and showcase their skills, promoting gender equality in the sport of hockey, and our pursuit to encourage growth, particularly as the oldest women’s sports club in the country."

In last year's tournament, Marcus James rattled in six field goals in the men's finale as Defence Force got past Police by a 9-4 margin. In the women's final, Keima Gardiner and Felicia King-Ashby found the target as Paragon defeated the host team. In the veterans final, Police were on the losing end once more as they were pipped 6-5 from the penalty spot by QPCC.

In the men's and women's divisions, the first-placed team will receive US$1,000, second-place will get US$500 and third-place will pocket US$250.

2024 Ventures invitational indoor hockey teams:

Men's division: Defence Force, Fatima, Paragon, Police, QPCC, Old Fort, Saints, UWI Blackbirds.

Women's division: Magnolias, Paragon, Police, Ventures, Guyana Cricket Club (GCC), Old Fort , Saints, UWI Blackbirds.

Mixed veterans division: Fatima, Malvern, Notre Dame, Police, QPCC, Guyana Cricket Club.