Ja reaping benefits of LATAM Cup
Published:Tuesday | November 9, 2021 | 12:06 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
Jamaica Olympic Ice Hockey Federation President Don Anderson says the national team’s performance at the Amerigol LATAM Cup in Florida last month may have boosted their chances of attracting support to get an ice rink built in the country.
The federation has been advocating for an ice rink for a number of years and after beating Colombia to win the 2019 LATAM Cup, Jamaica’s first international tournament, the team was deemed too strong for the 2021 edition, and was only allowed to play exhibition games.
“The trip was successful in many ways,” Anderson said. “We are in touch with a number of private companies, one of which helped us get to Fort Lauderdale. And based on the performance, I think the team will get the support for the ice rink.
“We hope to have an ice rink in two years, as we are targeting the 2026 Olympic Games, but in less than a year we should know where exactly we are.”
Anderson says the team should not have been denied the chance to defend its title, but he is happy they took the decision to play as an exhibition team, because a number of other opportunities also came their way as a result.
“The organisers were not wise in deciding that [the team was ineligible],” he said. “They were ashamed but pleased with the outcome because the atmosphere in the arena was fantastic and Jamaica had more than half the supporters there.
“So I don’t think we’ve lost anything by being there. I think we gained a lot and must use the positives out of this in a very constructive way. We have had offers of assistance from the Florida Panthers (NHL team), and it will also lay the platform for tournaments next year.
“It was also an opportunity to bond because a few players didn’t know each other and we are glad we played because had we not played, it would have been difficult to organise them again. So it will ensure there is no let-down when we are ready next year. So the trip was successful in many ways.”
Jamaica won their exhibition games, beating Puerto Rico 10-2, Colombia 12-0, Mexico 8-0, and Lebanon 5-4 in a shoot-out.