Argentina men and USA women win gold at Junior Pan American Championships

The Junior Pan American Championships, which were held in Bridgetown, Barbados, from April 10–18, 2023, featured the top young Pan American hockey teams in both the men’s and women’s divisions, with three slots in each gender up for grabs in the next FIH Junior World Cups. USA defeated Argentina in the finals to win the women’s championship, and Chile took home the bronze. Argentina, the defending junior world champions, dominated the men’s competition from start to finish, scoring 31 goals in 4 games and defeating Canada 6-1 in the championship match. Chile came in third.

Argentina and Chile finished first in Pool A and Pool B of the women’s competition, respectively. The largest impact was made by Chile, who won all three of their games by a combined score of 31 goals. While Canada placed second in Pool B with two victories and one defeat to Chile, the USA finished second in Pool A with their lone loss coming in a closely contested match against Argentina. In the semifinal match, Argentina defeated Canada 1-0, while the United States required penalty shootouts to defeat Chile and get to the championships. Once again, the finals were tight, but the USA proved their superiority in the penalty shootouts, defeating Argentina by a score of 4-1.The hosts Chile, together with the United States, Argentina, and Canada, have qualified for the FIH Junior Women’s World Cup 2023, which will take place in Santiago, Chile later this year.

“We are really happy to qualify to the Junior World Cup 2023,” said Tracy Paul, head coach of the winning USA team, in reference to her team’s achievement. “This is another opportunity for our team to perform at a major tournament, international tournament as they work themselves through the high performance pathway.”

Argentina and Canada both finished first in their respective pools during the men’s tournament’s group stage, winning all of their games with ease. With their only defeats coming at the hands of Argentina and Canada, respectively, Chile in Pool A and the USA in Pool B both ended in second place. The USA was easily defeated by Argentina 7-0 in the semi-finals, while Canada and Chile battled it out in a nail-biting match that required shootouts before Canada emerged victorious. Argentina won the gold medal match with a commanding 6-1 victory, demonstrating their continued domination in the competition. In the bronze medal game, Chile overcame USA to secure their place in the FIH Junior Hockey Men’s World Cup, which will take place later this year in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

When his side won the championship, Argentina’s coach, Juan Gilardi, had the following to say: “We had two goals when we came here, and we achieved both. We have a lot of pride in the squad. Despite the fact that we still have a long way to go, we are excited to be a part of the World Cup.”

Mr. Azhar ul Haq Wahid - Editor Mr. Azhar ul Haq Wahid joins "To The Sports News" as an Editor, bringing a decade of comprehensive journalistic experience to our team. A respected Pakistani journalist, he has dedicated his career to covering a wide array of global issues across the world, demonstrating a deep understanding of complex subjects and a commitment to detailed reporting. Mr. Wahid has a background working with prominent print and electronic media organizations, including Channel Five TV, the newspaper "Khabrain," The Nation/Nawa-i-Waqt, NNI, Daily Sama, City 42, Star Asia, Waqt News, Daily The Business, and Daily The Khabrain. His work has covered areas such as Environment, Health, and Sports. He is also a member of the Lahore Press Club, the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ), highlighting his dedication to journalistic standards and diverse reporting. His academic background includes a BS Honors degree in Sociology and an MPhil from Punjab University, alongside a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sargodha. Furthermore, Mr. Wahid is a Ph.D. candidate in Journalism at Complutense University of Madrid, and has contributed to research on topics including the relationship of sports participation with achievement, motivation, and innovation traits among university students, and the effects of parental involvement on student participation in sports. With his extensive experience in covering diverse topics and his keen analytical skills, Mr. Azhar ul Haq Wahid is poised to lead our sports news coverage with depth, accuracy, and insightful perspectives, ensuring our readers receive top-tier journalistic content.

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