3 months ago
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Jamaica’s men’s hockey players have their sights set on qualification for the Pan American Games and ultimately the Olympics after a fourth place spot in the recent regional qualifiers in Mexico secured a place in next year’s Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games.
The Duvaughn Henlon-coached team won three and lost three of their six matches to ensure a place at the games in Dominican Republic from July 24 to August 8, 2026.
However, Henlon fears that a lack of financial resources may hinder the team as they might not get the preparation required to challenge for a top two spot, which would qualify them for the Pan American Games, which is one step away from their ultimate goal of qualifying for the Olympic Games.
First, however, they will look to reaching the CAC semi-finals, which would earn them automatic qualification to the next tournament.
Henlon noted that during the qualifiers the coaching staff identified issues they need to address. The teams they will encounter at the CAC Games will be tougher than the ones they faced in the qualifiers and without international games and exposure leading into the tournament, they may fall short.
“Basically what happened to us is that in the games that we lost throughout the tournament we were unable to take all of our chances and close out the games properly. If the guys get more experience and exposure, because it is a young team, they will be able to manage games better and close out more effectively.
“The CAC Games is a stepping stone towards our qualification for the Olympic Games. From the CAC Games we will move into the Pan Am Games, after which we can qualify for the Olympic Games. So it is a continuation of a journey.
“What we have to do is play more hockey, play tougher opponents and play outside of Jamaica,” he stated.
However, it is very unlikely the team will get opportunities to play international friendlies outside Jamaica due to how expensive it is and because the federation is currently deep in debt.
“Those (international friendlies) come with a massive cost. That is going to be our constraint. Without those international matches it will be difficult to determine whether the team is improving.
“The federation has some big debts, and I am not sure if they will be in any position to facilitate this type of activity,” he noted.
Nevertheless, the players and coaches are motivated and determined to give themselves this type of experience and preparation, and they are constantly thinking of creative ways to raise funds. He also revealed that they are thinking of hosting an international friendly tournament, with three or four teams, but require some financial support to get this done.
“The players themselves are very keen to raise enough funds to at least do a tournament between now and the CAC Games next year. The team will have to sit down and brainstorm and come up with some ideas.”
President of the Jamaica Hockey Federation (JHF), Michael Blair, admitted that it would be very difficult to finance friendly internationals games overseas, due to their current financial constraints.
However, he pointed out that the CAC and Pan Am Games come under the umbrella of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), who would be responsible for the team’s travelling, accommodation and gears for these events.
He also agreed that it will be hard for the Jamaica team to compete against nations with superior financial resources, and that to bridge the gap they will look at recruiting overseas-based players with Jamaican backgrounds to help boost the quality and experience of the team.
“Sometimes it cost a lot to travel overseas with a large contingent. You are talking about almost $8 million dollars for each trip. The federation is able to finance those kinds of trips right now,” Blair declared.
“What we want to do is expand the pool and recruit overseas athletes who have an interest. That is the direction we are going in. Inviting all athletes who have Jamaican backgrounds and who are playing competitive hockey overseas. That is one way we are looking to boost the team.”
The JHF were named as a delinquent organisation by the SDF (Sports Development Foundation) and as a result funding had stopped until recently.
However, he said he and his administration continue to work to reduce the debts, that have crippled the federation for years.
“We just started receiving some funding, but even without that, life continues at the federation and we still had expenses. There is nothing else we can do at the moment than ensure that we keep the training facility in good condition and invite other athletes to boost the team.
“We have to find creative ways to provide for ourselves because we can’t continue depending on anyone or we will never reach anywhere.
“Several (presidents) have tried (to reduce debts) long before me, and we are still trying,” Blair said.
Meanwhile, coach Henlon said they are targeting a top-four finish at the CAC Games.
“The top two teams from the CAC games will move on to Pan Am Games but as it stands I don’t think we are in a position to be in that top two. So the goal that we have set for the CAC Games is to get into the semi-finals.
“Once we are in the top four we would automatically qualify for the next CAC Games, then the funds we usually spend to get to qualifiers we could probably use that to build the team and put ourselves in a position to target that top two in future games,” Henlon added.
English (US) ·