Looking for his next Pan American Cup gold medal, the co-captain of the Canadian Indoor National Team is no rookie: today, in Georgetown, Guyana, Ken Pereira took his position on the court after hearing the pre-game Canadian national anthem for the 400th time, a combination of 348 outdoor Caps and 52 indoor Caps!
400 Caps is an accomplishment that very few international players ever achieve, and it is certainly a Canadian first.
Ken was a late comer to the game of field hockey, spending his youth playing ice hockey, football and most other sports. He began his field hockey career, inspired by his cousin John DeSouza and joined the GOA Reds field hockey club at the age of 16.
Known for his big smile and always joking attitude, Kenny is 5’6 and ‘a buck thirty soaking wet’. He had an uphill battle to prove what he lacked in size, he made up for in skill, speed and attitude. Ken broke into Team Canada via the indoor team, playing in the 1993 Glenfiddich International in Scotland. He was then given a shot on the outdoor team in 1994, at age 21, and never looked back.
Fast, crafty and agile Ken was able to create chances in attack, and began his career as a forward. Ken played in many notable competitions as a rookie on the team, including the 1995 Pan American Games, 1998 Commonwealth Games, and 1998 World Cup in Holland, but the competition that really put him on the map for Canadian hockey fans was the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg. In a quintessential Pan American final, it was a Canada vs. Argentina battle. Ken scored the game’s only goal, late in the first half, making no mistake with a loose ball in the circle. The photo of Ronnie Jagday and Ken celebrating his goal, is a Canadian field hockey classic, and was the inspiration for the redesign of the Field Hockey Canada logo.
Ken went on to play in the Sydney Olympic Games, living out a lifelong dream. Canada finished tenth, with tight loses to Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain, drawing with Pakistan, Great-Britain and Malaysia, and beating Poland.
Shortly thereafter, after playing in his second Commonwealth Games, Kenny picked up his indoor stick again, this time to play in the first Indoor Pan American Cup - the qualifier for the 2003 Indoor World Cup. Team Canada didn’t drop a point through the entire competition, and sailed into the Indoor World Cup, where they finished 5th - the highest the Canadian Men have placed at a World Cup. Ken again competed in the 2005 Indoor Pan American Cup and, on home court in Kitchener-Waterloo, Canada won the tournament with a 5-3 win over Trinidad and Tobago in the final, securing their spot in the 2007 Indoor World Cup.
It was around this time that Ken moved to Holland to play in the Dutch League. Ken played for 5 years with top club HGC, and finally secured the EHL Championship in 2011 with Canadian teammate Rob Short.
After a few more years of tours and tournaments, the 2007 Rio Pan Am Games couldn’t come soon enough for Ken and his Canadian compatriots. Canada squeaked out the narrowest of wins against Trinidad and Tobago in the semi final (4-3 in overtime) to then took on, who other than Argentina, in the final. Again Canada managed to pull out the win on a sudden death penalty stroke after a 2-2 tie in regulation time, earning a spot for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The Canadian team then went on to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.
It’s hard to find career highlights after five Pan American Games, four Commonwealth Games, three Indoor World Cups, two World Cups and two Olympic games, but Ken managed to add a unique feat: he was the first member of a team sport to be named a Canadian flag bearer at the Commonwealth Games. leading Team Canada into the opening ceremonies of the Delhi Games in 2010.
It was soon after, in 2011 that Ken Pereira, along with Rob Short, broke the legendary Bubli Chohan’s record for most international matches for team Canada. He finished his outdoor career with 348 caps with Team Canada.
Ken Pereira also played in the India Hockey League in 2012, captaining the Pune Strykers to the finals, and more recently, captained the Canadian team at the 2014 Indoor Pan American Cup to victory and another Indoor World Cup.
Off the court, Ken Pereira plays a pivotal role in hockey development across Ontario. If you haven’t been coached by him with team Ontario, been umpired by him at one of the many club tournaments, had him as your TD at a high school tournament in the fall, attended one of his coaching clinics, or heard one of his many hockey stories, then you probably haven’t been around hockey too long! Always looking to help Ontario athletes take their careers as far as they want, Ken continues to remain a key figure in hockey across Ontario.
