With Jamaica set to host the Pan American Confederation Hockey 5s World Cup qualifiers, president of the Jamaica Hockey Federation (JHF) Fabian Stewart says the tournament could not have come at a better time as players prepare for the 24th staging of the Central America and Caribbean (CAC) Games.

The championships will be held from June 23 to July 8 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The Hockey 5s tournament is a short version of the sport that can be played on multiple surfaces. It also stands out for being highly skilled and super fast. The qualifiers are scheduled to take place at the Mona Hockey Field from June 4 to 11, with 10 teams (both men and women) confirming their participation.

Stewart said the Hockey 5s qualifiers will not affect the preparation process for the Jamaica team heading for the CAC Games but will instead provide valuable game time needed to build their competitive edge.

“It doesn’t detract from or affect the preparation for the CAC Games. Obviously we want to get to the Hockey 5s World Cup but we will be using this format as a part of the preparation process for the CAC Games, and we will compete. So, they are currently in training but they are training for both formats of the game. Hockey 5s is the T20 version; it is similar to the T20 version of cricket. It is very fast, it is enclosed with barriers, and things of that nature,” Stewart told the Jamaica Observer.

“Because you have the boundaries and the borders, it is a mix of ice hockey where the ball does not come out so it is a constant engagement in terms of fitness and the ability to pass the ball — and if you can outscore your opponents. It is really an exciting game.

“My focus is on the eleven-a-side, which is the CAC Games; they have really come through the qualifiers. But while I anticipate that the Jamaican team is going to be competitive, I am not levelling any pressure on the team in the sense of where this tournament is concerned,” the president continued.

Because they knew the tournament was coming up, Stewart said they have been working closely with the Mona Academy of Sport so the players can sustain the fitness level of the players for the Hockey 5s qualifiers and then into the CAC Games, while at the same time reducing the potential for injury.

The men’s qualifiers will also include Trinidad and Tobago, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Panama, and hosts Jamaica, while the women’s tournament will see hosts Jamaica take on the likes of Brazil, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Panama.

“The Latin American teams that are coming and teams in the United States, because of their indoor circumstances in Costa Rica and Panama, they play smaller games and so they have been playing this version of the game on a more consistent basis and longer than us — but I still expect us to be competitive,” said Stewart.

Stewart said that Jamaica will be ready to put on a tournament to remember as the Hockey 5s is the future of the game.

“The anticipation for me is to be able to put on an extremely good tournament because Hockey 5s, to me, is more about the future because it was initially brought in and was played at the youth level. This world cup and the possibility of Hockey 5s going to the Olympics is relatively new, and so it is part of our futuristic approach and our structure for the future.

“So for us, we want to engage as many of our youth players in this version of the game at the highest level. What we want to do is get people excited and get the younger players to see it at the level of skills that are required. And then hopefully, I am very hopeful that the Jamaicans will be able to compete,” Stewart said.