The Pan American Junior Championship for men and women is underway in Guadalajara, Mexico. The massive event will run over 14 competition days from September 10-23 and includes 14 men’s teams and 11 women’s teams.
It is the biggest event that the Pan American region has even hosted at the junior level with the 24 squads from 14 different countries. Five spots for the Junior World Cup are up for grabs, with two for the men and three on the women’s side.
The tournament is taking place at the same venue as last year’s Pan American Games, giving the tournament a strong infrastructure to support its large scope.
Present at the tournament is a variety of teams weighing in at all skill levels. Traditional powerhouses Argentina, Canada, United States will meet much less experienced nations such as Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Guatemala. Both Argentina squads have at least one player that was at last month’s London Olympics, while Guatemala is playing its first-ever international matches. Also in the mix are teams from 2016 Olympic host Brazil, which is trying to gain as much international experience as possible in the lead-up to the Rio Olympics.
Pan American Hockey Federation President Antonio von Ondarza said of the event, “the interest took us by surprise, we didn’t expect this many teams. But the entries kept coming in, and at this level, you just can’t say no, you want everyone to play, to have a chance to play. This is a fantastic event for the Pan American region.”
Both the men’s and women’s tournaments can be followed on the Pan American Hockey website and also on its Twitter account @PanAmHockey, or the Faceoobk page: PAHF Panamerican Hockey Federation.
Live streaming is also available at http://www.justin.tv/codejalisco
