In October, Panama hosted the Hockey 5 Development Tournament, where Costa Rica claimed the women's trophy, and Guatemala triumphed in the men's category. For the participating teams, this competition represents their first step into the international arena, allowing them to gauge their level against other teams. It is a meeting of opportunities—a great beginning.
Ademir Montenegro Cortes, President of the Panamanian Hockey Association, has been organizing hockey events nationally for 17 years and has spent the past 10 years supporting and accompanying Panama’s national teams. Initially involved with indoor hockey, he later fell in love with Hockey 5 and has stayed dedicated to it ever since.
“For Central American athletes, tournaments like these are of great importance because they are the first step—the gateway to international competition. The players eagerly look forward to competing and sharing their love for the sport at a continental level,” explained the 66-year-old leader.
Hockey 5 reduces space and resource requirements, making it more feasible in certain regions. “This format is used to facilitate participation for everyone. It’s less costly and easier to form teams since fewer players are needed,” said the top official of Panamanian hockey. Furthermore, there are global tournaments in this format, which adds an ambitious edge to it.
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and host Panama participated in both the women’s and men’s divisions. For these nations, growth during the event transcends final rankings. “Each day, the players and teams become more competitive, which makes the tournaments more interesting for everyone. It pushes you to set goals and strive to achieve them,” Montenegro Cortes noted.
He added, “The next step is for us to collectively participate in formats like 11-a-side hockey and to establish tournaments in this format within Central America, allowing us to compete at higher levels with nations that have a stronger field hockey tradition. At the same time, we are all working towards ensuring our governments provide better facilities for hockey practice.” With more resources, progress would undoubtedly be faster.
However, these nations continue to push forward despite any obstacles, striving to ensure that more teams take their first steps toward eventually reaching the elite level of the sport.
Central America is eager to keep growing in hockey.
