During its Congresses, the Pan American Hockey Federation (PAHF) sometimes recognizes the path and career of its collaborators. In Toronto, during the Pan American Games 2015, Rene Granat, former president of the Venezuelan Hockey Federation and Director of the PAHF from 1995 to 2013, was nominated to receive the "Order of Merit" for his dedication to Pan American Hockey.
PAHF President Coco Budeisky officially delivered the award to Rene Granat on 21 September in Buenos Aires, Argentina, during a friendly dinner to discuss ways to activate the Masters and Grand Masters Hockey in the Americas, and thanked him for his years of work and dedication.
Here is part of Rene Granat’s history in Hockey:
Born in Argentina, he arrived in Venezuela in 1974 and played his first hockey match in 1978 for Caracas Sport Club during a tour to Peru, as a field player. After the tour, he started playing as goalkeeper and kept this position afterwards. In 1982, he was nationalized Venezuelan citizen and played as goalkeeper of the national team for their first participation at the Pan American Games, in Caracas in 1983.
He was Team Manager of the Venezuelan seniors and juniors national teams, for both genders, in Central American, South American and Pan American tournaments from 1985 to 2012.
As president of the Venezuelan Hockey Federation, from 1993 to 2013, he worked to introduce the sport in 11 states, growing the sport from a single team from Caracas to more than 1,000 registered players in the 11 provincial associations legally established.
His career as a continental collaborator includes regional coordination for Central America and the Caribbean for several years, as a member of the PAHF and FIH development committees. Furthermore, he coordinated the organization of many tournaments in Venezuela, such as Central American and Caribbean 1998, Alba Games 2007, and two Indoor Pan Am Cups for men and women (2004 and 2010).
Rene is currently dedicated to Hockey Masters and Grand Masters, and his is vice president for the Americas at the World Grand Masters Association (WGMA).
