HEAD coach of Jamaica’s men’s hockey team Duvaugh Henlon noted that the team’s historic qualification for the 2024 Hockey 5s World Cup was the product of the players’ hard work and passion they put into the game.

Jamaica qualified for the World Cup after they defeated Paraguay 5-2 in the third-/fourth-place play-off of the Pan American Confederation Hockey 5s World Cup Qualifiers at the Mona Hockey Field on Sunday, June 11, 2023.

Nickoy Stephenson scored three goals, including a field goal in the third minute, a penalty corner in the seventh minute, and a field goal in the 12th. Shemar Gordon scored the other goals for Jamaica: a field goal in the ninth minute and a penalty corner in the 20th.

Paraguay’s goals came from Elia Vera’s field goal in the 11th minute and Guillermo Benitez’s penalty corner in the 14th minute.

The Jamaicans joined the United States and Trinidad and Tobago in qualifying for the event which will be hosted in Muscat, Oman, January 24-31. The United States won the Hockey 5s Cup with a 3-2 penalty shoot-out victory over Trinidad and Tobago after the game ended 3-3.

“Well, the players are very ecstatic. We are elated; we are very happy as this is a very big thing for us. I mean, making it to a World Cup is a big thing as not many Jamaican sports get there, and hockey is there and we are proud,” Henlon told the Jamaica Observer.

“Overall, the players had a very good tournament. We came into the tournament as the sixth- or seventh-ranked team, and after making it all the way I am feeling very proud. The players played some very good hockey over the weeks and I am very proud of the boys,” he said.

Henlon believes that this success will give the team much-needed confidence heading into the 24th Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, which will be held in El Salvador from June 23 to July 8.

“I mean, this will undoubtedly boost confidence heading into the CAC Games. As previously said, the players are young — average 21 to 22 years old — and this is another major competition for them.

“We won the first major one and got a bronze medal at the second one, so for the guys to continue to taste success we keep pushing and driving them towards more success — and we feel confident going into the CAC Games to achieve our goals,” he explained.

Henlon stated that the team has to refocus and focus on the work at hand before the CAC Games.

“Well, the team has been preparing for both tournaments at the same time and that was the most difficult thing: preparing for two different formats at the same time, for two competitions within weeks of each other.

“And so it is just to get the rest of the group together, get everybody back in training, and finalise some things going into the CAC Games,” Henlon said.