Jamaica women's hockey side targets CAC Games medal after fifth-place finish

Jamaica's women's field hockey team opens its Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games campaign against Cuba in Santo Domingo on Sunday, looking to climb the podium after a fifth-place finish at the 2023 Games in El Salvador.

The squad, which includes one overseas-based player, begins preliminary-round action in the Dominican Republic determined to better that result. Co-captain Camille Griffiths-Harris said the side is prepared for the tournament.

"Preparations have been intense, but they've been very good. They've been very focused. Our management team really tried to focus on getting the job done this time, and the hopes with this preparation is really to end up with a medal this CAC Games," Griffiths-Harris said.

She identified finishing as the key area still needing work if Jamaica is to reach the medal stand.

"For Team Jamaica, we've always had a scoring deficit, and we're hoping that this time around with the new skill set that we have, we'll be able to put away our chances much better. Defensively, we're pretty sound, and we're hoping that once we put away the goals, we'll be able to just put in the work defensively and secure what the task is at hand," she said.

England-born midfielder and forward Talia Packham is expected to help close that gap. Packham will make her Jamaica debut at the Games.

"I don't know how the other teams play, but I know that having trained with this team, I think we can perform really well and definitely be on the medal podium, hopefully," Packham said.

On representing Jamaica, she added: "It feels very surreal. It's a completely unknown experience, and I can't wait to get started."

Jamaica Hockey Federation vice president for the women's programme, Christina Edwards, welcomed Packham's inclusion, saying overseas-based athletes bring different training methods and experience that strengthen the squad.

"It's good, so then we'll have diverse players and diverse set of training because when they train overseas it's a little bit different from out here. And the fact that we have both experience, it will help us. And we'll come back successful," Edwards said.

She said the national programme has been built around a strong CAC Games showing, with the team in training for the past six months from January through to the present, through rain and sun.

"I'm sure they'll come back with some medals. It's going to be a difficult tournament seeing that we're in the batch with other countries like Barbados, Bermuda, and Cuba. But I'm sure the girls will do well. They've been preparing adequately. They've been training their hardest, and I'm confident in them, and I'm confident in Jamaica," Edwards said.

Jamaica is drawn in Pool B of the women's hockey competition alongside Cuba, Bermuda and Barbados.