The fifth Central American Hockey5s tournament took place at the Santa Fe court from November 9th to 12th in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Among the central American countries that participated were Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala and El Salvador–all with men’s and women’s teams representing.
What took place in Costa Rica were four days of enjoyment, learning and collective growth, where everyone involved faced well-fought challenges, and was inspired to bring a stronger game to obtain new victories.
The effort and excellent organization by the host nation allowed the competition to develop in the best way possible, giving everyone involved the best chance to give their best and create a marvellous event.
For many countries, this tournament meant an opportunity, and was a reflection of the hard work that took place throughout the year. For others, it was the dream of pride one feels, being able to compete and represent one’s country. “This tournament means the opportunity to keep on growing and keep on adding little by little. Competing helps us achieve our goals and learn. I have nothing but words of gratitude,” said Juan Pablo Solis, captain of the Costa Rican team. Coco Budeisky, President of the Pan American Hockey Federation added,
“This event reaffirms the need for this region to keep on competing. It's a unique opportunity to keep on working on the development of the sport. I’m certain that we will keep on organizing and supporting this tournament annually.”
The last day of the competition was a true hockey celebration. The matches were incredibly intense, with four results determined by shootouts and two electrifying final matches.
On the women’s side, Guatemala took home the championship defeating Costa Rica. On the men’s side, the champion was Costa Rica, beating Guatemala 2-0 in a final match that will be written about in the history books of Costa Rica.
To wrap up, Laura Macchiotti, Event and Development Coordinator at PAHF, concluded: “After 8 years of work in partnership with the National Federations, this isn’t just a sports event, it is a social commitment to continue improving the quality of life of many athletes in this region.”
Final Standing
Women’s Tournament
1- Guatemala
2- Costa Rica
3- El Salvador
4- Panama
Top Scorers: Jessica Espino (GUA) and Yerling Cano (CRC), 4 goals
Top Goalkeeper: Heidi Manuel (GUA)
Top Player: Celina Portugal (PAN)
Men’s Tournament
1- Costa Rica
2- Guatemala
3- El Salvador
4- Panama
Top Scorer: Amalec Picado (CRC), 7 goals
Top Goalkeeper: Roberto Mendez (ESA)
Top Player: Amalec Picado (CRC)
