The excitement is undeniable, as the early results take a backseat to a much bigger achievement—Venezuela’s return to junior championships. On March 8, the nation’s colors will once again shine at the Under-21 Pan American Challenge in Barbados. Their last appearance in this category was in 2012, and this comeback marks a crucial step in reclaiming their place on the continental stage, with aspirations to reach even greater heights and expand beyond borders.
Hockey in Venezuela has its roots in the 1970s, with its first international participation taking place at the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas. From that point on, clubs were established exclusively in Caracas until 2006, when the sport began to expand and develop on a national level. Out of the 24 states that make up the country, hockey was present in 15 at its peak, though today it remains active in 11 states, with eight of them participating in national events across all categories.
This tournament will create new opportunities for young players to dream of joining the national team. Currently, nearly a thousand players in Venezuela practice the sport, ranging from four-year-old beginners to players over 40.
Omar Bastardo, President of the Venezuelan Hockey Federation since November 2022, sees this tournament as a crucial milestone in the country’s history. “For us, it is a great opportunity to return to the international scene as a national team, given that we have not participated in any event since 2018, and we haven’t competed in a junior event since 2012,” he said.
Although the preparation time was not as long as they would have liked, they know that the effort to return is worth it. “The preparation for this group was intense but short because it had been years since the national team gathered, and we were only able to train together from January until now,” Bastardo explained. That is why results take a back seat, and the main focus is on progressing step by step. “We have a lot of hope and expectations, as we have worked for many years without being able to participate in youth events, even losing entire generations of hockey players. But now, we have the support of the current national sports authorities, who have given us the confidence to showcase our talent and the work being done.”
While they must be cautious and not place too many demands on this tournament, they have clear goals in mind, focusing on long-term and global objectives. “Our main goal is to consolidate hockey in at least eight states across the country, ensuring participation in national events from youth to adult categories. From there, we aim to gradually establish a National League and make our national teams a source of pride and a goal for all hockey players in our country, as well as achieve better international results,” Bastardo stated.
But the project, even though it is just beginning, is ambitious. Because that is the only way to keep growing. “We want to have an official field dedicated exclusively to hockey. That is a key objective for us and a goal for the coming years.”
Venezuela understands that transitions take time, but they are determined to try and exhaust all available resources for the future. After all, today’s junior players will be tomorrow’s national team stars. And the focus remains firmly on the horizon.
