JHF targets connections at PanAm meeting
PRESIDENT Victor Tomlinson of the Jamaica Hockey Federation, which is hosting the annual four-day board of directors and planning committee meetings of the Pan American Hockey Federation (PAHF), will try to win friends and influence people in the region.
PAHF president Antonio Von Ondarza and general secretary Sue Neill and some 40 members representing the 26 countries in the region are meet at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston from Wednesday.
“We will give ourselves the opportunity to network with the many members who will attend, raise the profile of the sport locally, improve our stature in the region and the world which will make it easier to access international funding, and show the facilities we have for indoor hockey and outdoor so we can be awarded tournaments,” said Tomlinson.
The PAHF board members will make courtesy calls on the minister of sport Olivia Grange, Patron of Hockey Major General S E Saunders, principal of G C Foster College Edward Shakes, and visit the Institute of Sports, Jamaica Olympic Association, and Sports Development Foundation.
There will also be a World Youth Festival held under the theme “It’s All in the Game”, providing fun-filled activities for players between the ages of 6 and 21.
The festival will include mini competitions, skills and technique demonstrations, video presentations, displays and rap sessions.
Tomlinson stressed that with “great Jamaican hospitality to the visitors” he hoped to “open up coaching opportunities”.
He would deem the regional meetings a success if “our committee (competitions, umpiring, development, communications) members get a good feel for the operations and happenings in the PAHF and then plan our programmes along the same parallel”, he said.
Members of the PAHF are Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Mexico, Netherland Antilles, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Jamaica.
