Darren Cowie returns to captain Calypso Stickmen for Indoor World Cup

DARREN Cowie’s decision to come out of retirement and captain Trinidad and Tobago at the February 3-9 FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup in Croatia returns a wealth of experience to the Calypso Stickmen ahead of the 12-team tournament.

Cowie, who previously captained the TT men’s outdoor team before retiring and transitioning to a national coach, chose to make a player comeback to bolster the nation’s chances of progressing out of Pool C, and into the knockout rounds.

The 14-member team was announced on January 15 with Cowie at the helm, alongside seasoned former player Dwain Quan Chan, who also opted to come out of retirement and successfully contest the team trials.

The pair and their ten other team members and two reserves enter the World Cup under the  guidance of senior team coach Rafael Govia.

This will be TT’s third Indoor World Cup stint, having placed 12th in Austria in 2007 and tenth in Germany in 2018.

Cowie relished his role as captain and believes his teammates have what is required to put on a competitive display.

“It’s amazing that we do have a nice blend of experienced, talented and skilful players who we all know can hold their own on a difficult stage against tough opposition. That makes my re-transitioning back into the team, and in a captaincy role, much easier knowing that I’ve coached and played alongside these guys. I have a lot of faith and trust in what they could produce,” he said.

Asked what inspired him to come out of retirement and rejoin the squad, Cowie said it was either they broke back into the team through the trials, or he and Quan Chan provided tips and advice to players and team staff during the World Cup. The former came to fruition.

On their inclusion back in the national setup, Cowie said, “Dwain was my assistant coach on the outdoor team and when I was the captain, he was vice-captain, and we always had a good relationship and understanding of how we wanted elite hockey to be played on the international stage. We made a decision to give it a go and we wanted to give the team the best chance of performing at their best.”

Akim Toussaint, who captained the team to silver at the 2024 Indoor Pan American Cup in Canada – which eventually qualified TT for the World Cup – in March, will not hit the pitch as a player this time around, but will be Govia’s assistant coach.

With TT grouped alongside higher-ranked nations Australia and Belgium, and lower-ranked Namibia, Cowie expects a keen contest to come out of the group. He believes Govia has the right strategy to overcome these global powerhouses.

“His  mantra is to play attacking and not play overly safe. Regardless of the opposition, while we’ll have a game plan, he’ll always want us to stick to that identity of playing attacking, aggressive hockey, and not just hit back and let the other team take the game to us. That’s probably one thing that will not change from game to game against those three teams: aggressive and attacking play.”

Cowie wants his troops to be able to perform and manage pressure, particularly during those tough moments. He fully believes TT can progress out of the group and even reach the final four.

“I do feel there’s a chance for us to hopefully make it to the semifinal. From there, I think it’s anybody’s ball game. At the Hockey 5s World Cup last year, we lost the quarter-final against Malaysia by one goal, and they went on to the final and took silver.

“It shows just how close and thin those margins are for success and medalling on the world stage. We’re hoping we can be on the right side of the coin this time around. Once we get out of the group, anything is possible from there.”

Cowie also praised his lethal attacking front trio of Teague Marcano, Mikel Pierre and Jordan Vieira, hailing them as “high-IQ players.”

“Each of them is a good ball carrier and they can all assess the game swiftly. They can create for themselves and each other, have good combination play, and if they’re in a tight space, they can get out and create.”

He also recognised every member of the team for their hard work and perseverance through the trails and training camps, including goalkeeper Ron Alexander, who also played an integral role in their silver medal showing last year, which earned him the Goalkeeper of the Tournament award.

Cowie also confirmed the team is trying to get a pre-tour in Canada but is uncertain if they will. If not, he hopes the squad can reach Croatia at least a week before the first match, to acclimatise and possibly get in one or two practice matches against nations outside their group, or club teams there.

TT Indoor Hockey World Cup Team

Darren Cowie (captain), Ron Alexander, Karlos Stephens (goalkeepers), Dwain Quan Chan, Nicholas Siu Butt, Solomon Eccles, Shaquille Daniel, Teague Marcano, Byer, Jordan Reynos, Jordan Vieira, Tarell Singh, Mikel Pierre, Dylan Francis,

Reserves: Malcolm Baptiste, Dominic Young, Arielle Bowen

Technical staff: Raphael Govia (coach), Akim Toussaint (assistant coach), Keshen Johnson (manager), Akil Howard (trainer/physiotherapist).

Groups

Pool A: Austria, Croatia, Poland, South Africa

Pool B: Argentina, Germany, Iran, Malaysia

Pool C: Australia, Belgium, Namibia, TT