The Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) has signalled an ambitious and expansive vision for the sport’s future following what its president, Philip Fernandes, described as a “fruitful” meeting with the National Sports Commission (NSC).
The engagement, part of the NSC’s ongoing consultations with national sporting bodies, focused heavily on the GHB’s strategic direction for 2026 while also addressing the broader goal of decentralizing hockey and making it a truly nationwide sport.
Fernandes explained that the Board used the opportunity to reflect on its 2025 programme, carefully examining challenges faced during the year and identifying corrective measures to strengthen operations moving forward.
“We had a very productive discussion,” Fernandes said.
“Not only did we outline our major plans for 2026, but we also spent time reviewing 2025, looking at where we faced difficulties and what systems we will put in place to ensure we improve across the board.”
A key theme of the meeting was development beyond Georgetown, where the sport has traditionally been concentrated.
“And then there was a heavy focus on development, and developing the game outside of Georgetown, and in fact, we’ve had some good ideas coming out of the discussions, where there will be availability of the new facilities the Government is putting in place, and will be available to hockey,” Fernandes noted.
He underlined that the expansion of suitable sporting infrastructure across the country could be a game-changer for hockey’s grassroots growth.
“The facilities outside of Georgetown will give our Federation an opportunity to form clusters of schools to develop around the areas of those grounds, and we believe that those little regional groupings will then feed back into our national programme. It will be closer to a country-wide game as compared to only Georgetown,” he added.
Fernandes said he was excited by the ideas presented and the level of support offered by the Commission, revealing that both sides committed to continued engagement to ensure the plans are effectively executed.
On the NSC’s side, Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle commended the GHB for what he described as a strong and well-organised 2025 calendar of activities.
He pointed to hockey as one of the better-managed sports locally, highlighting its structured development across both genders and multiple age groups.
Ninvalle also underscored the Government’s role in strengthening the foundation for sports’ growth through improved infrastructure.
The Commission, he explained, discussed plans to ensure that facilities nearing completion, along with those scheduled to begin construction this year, are built to accommodate hockey as part of a broader push to develop sport nationwide.
Ninvalle expressed confidence in the Federation’s direction. He noted the GHB’s ambitious plans and reaffirmed the NSC’s willingness to engage and provide the necessary support to help bring those plans to life.
He further stressed that expansion, national development, and inclusion remain central to the Government’s sporting agenda, with a clear focus on making facilities readily available for federations and associations to develop their respective disciplines.
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