The Cayman Islands ball hockey team wrapped up the 2019 Ball Hockey World Championships by defeating Great Britain in the B-Pool gold medal game to end up as global champions remaining weekend. Cayman formerly made it to the finals in 2015 after taking on Haiti and won the silver medal. It was a long nine days of opposition for the 20 gamers who traveled throughout the Atlantic to compete in Kosice, Slovakia, at the 13th Annual Ball Hockey World Championships. The 14-22 June match become hosted via the International Street and Ball Hockey Federation. Cayman took to the arena nine instances over the 9 days and completed with a record of seven wins and losses, with 33 goals for and 21 towards.
The tournament kicked off with a recreation against the defending gold medallists, Hong Kong, which Cayman took 3-zero in a definitive win and strong debut. Game 2 in opposition to Lebanon became lots closer than anticipated, finishing in a shoot-out and a 3-2 win. Bermuda additionally took Cayman to a shoot-out in Game 3, in which Cayman additionally received 5-four. Game 4 for Cayman came after a far-needed time without work, energizing the team to a 6-1 win over protecting bronze medallists, Armenia, in the final recreation of the B-pool spherical robin.
With an undefeated file, Cayman superior to the A-pool for the primary time inside the organization’s records, matching up against Switzerland for Game five. Switzerland took a commanding win over Cayman, 8-0. This pressured Cayman to back off to the B-pool and a new round-robin, which protected themselves and Hong Kong, Haiti, and Great Britain. Game 6 and a second game of the day for Cayman introduced a rematch against Hong Kong, where Cayman yet again showed its superiority with a strong 6-1 victory.
Haiti turned into next on suit agenda, and in Game 7, Cayman another time confirmed energy with any other 6-1 win. This sport clinched a niche in the gold medal game for Cayman, with Game 8 against Great Britain and a three-1 loss, turning null and void. On Saturday, 22 June, Cayman took the arena one final time in a rematch in opposition to Great Britain for gold and the sector championship. In a hard-fought sport that took every player’s last ounce of energy, Cayman got here out on pinnacle, with a final score of 3-1 and a gold medal around every player’s neck.
“We have been thoroughly organized coming into the event,” said the team’s head train, Scott Sparks. “We spent plenty of time earlier than the tournament running on all of the little things which positioned us in a terrific function whilst we were given [to Kosice]. Our intention from the start of training turned into to carry gold returned domestic to Cayman, and we’ve accomplished just that – we couldn’t be prouder of what the team did as an entire.”
The crew’s assistant train, Tim Curtis, stated, “What a excellent organization we had this year. We had a team that got here together and gelled impressively well. This tournament is tough warfare, each mentally and bodily, and it’s all approximately the crew and the way you feature on the day. We are so happy to have the gold medal, and that is for Cayman, a notable attempt with the aid of all.”
The thirteenth ISBHF World Ball Hockey Championships added 15 special nations together, together with the host nation of Slovakia, and a complete of 20 groups which covered 5 ladies’ countrywide teams and 15 guys’ countrywide teams. The Championships are held every year in distinctive host international locations, with 2021 set for Canada, wherein Cayman will protect their gold medal for the first time.
