With the end of the season rapidly approaching the GHA fixture secretary has released the following fixtures. There are also plans for a sixes tournament for both senior ladies & men’s veterans to be played in June and also a Development Cup where the Under 21’s will compete as a team. The season will then conclude with the annual prize giving night. Details to follow shortly.

On Saturday 19th April the girls braved the weather and played in what turned out to be A very competitive interschool middles schools hockey competition. Although fewer teams Than in the boys tournament, the four girls teams put on a great show for the numerous Friends and family who also braved the harsh, wet weather conditions experienced on Saturday Morning.

St. Anne’s where the eventual winners beating St. Joseph’s by 2 - 0 in the final ( and deciding game) Of the competition whilst St. Anne’s battled it out for the 3rd & 4th place. Full results below.

Winners	St Anne's
Runner-up	St Joseph's
3rd Place	Bishop Fitz Green
4th Place	Bishop Fitz Yellow

The final was contested between St. Anne’s and St. Joseph’s. St. Joseph’s seemed to have the Upper hand from the start with two early goals but St. Anne’s quickly got back into the game to level at 2 -2. In the last five minutes of the game St. Joseph’s put the pressure on and three well worked goals took The final score to 5 – 2. Stefan Valarino scored a hat trick for St. Josephs and Paul Payas scored 2 goals. Gian Tavares & Nicholas Norton scored the goals for St. Anne’s.

This past Saturday 12th April the GHA held an interschool tournament for boys (middle schools). Seven teams contested the prize at stake as some middle schools were even able to field two teams. It was a joy to see so many youngsters at the hockey pitch and the day’s events were a complete Success (even the weather!).This competition will now become an annual event to be played just after Easter during the schools 3rd term.

The final was contested between St. Anne’s and St. Joseph’s. St. Joseph’s seemed to have the Upper hand from the start with two early goals but St. Anne’s quickly got back into the game to level at 2 -2. In the last five minutes of the game St. Joseph’s put the pressure on and three well worked goals took The final score to 5 – 2. Stefan Valarino scored a hat trick for St. Josephs and Paul Payas scored 2 goals. Gian Tavares & Nicholas Norton scored the goals for St. Anne’s.

The GHA Chairman thanked the stadium authorities, the parents, the umpires and the children for a wonderful day of hockey.Also thanked Mr. Graham Hawkins and the middle schools for helping to co-ordinate the event. Finally a rep From Barclays Wealth (the tournament sponsors) and the Minster Mr. Edwin Reyes gave out the trophy To St.Joseph’s and The medals to the first 3 teams.

Group A	Group B
St.Joseph's Bishop Fitzgerald Green Sacred Heart Juniors St. Anne's White	Bishop Fitz Yellow Sacred Heart Seniors St. Anne's Red -----

Gibraltar’s top hockey export, Karl Stagno, was in Gibraltar over the weekend for personal matters and also to meet with representatives of the GHA to discuss next seasons plans for the National side travelling to Slovakia, to participate in the European Nations Championship. Karl is currently player/coach for Surbiton and this summer will form part of the Scotland Under 21 coaching staff who will be participating in the A Championships in San Sebastian, Spain. Due to this professional commitment Karl will be unable to accompany Eric Abudarham and the GHA Under 21’s who will be travelling to Baku, Azerbaijan.

Nevertheless Karl, Peter Pizarro (Chairman), Eric Abudarham (Captain) and Stephen Valarino (Coach) held several meetings and drafted an initial plan leading towards the 2009 Nation Championships. This will include a 35 man squad being selected and following a training plan from September to December 2008 including fitness tests, coaching sessions, friendly games, etc. The squad would then be cut down to 24 players who will again follow a laid down plan from January to Easter 2009. After Easter the final 18 man squad will be selected and they will then commence more frequent training sessions, a training weekend by Karl Stagno, an invitational tournament either in the Canary Islands or Portugal and then off to the tournament proper in July 2009 in Slovakia.

The GHA is delighted that Karl has accepted provisionally to travel as the Team Manager of the men’s national side as his experience at top

The GHA in conjunction with the local middle schools will be organising an inter school Hockey 6-a-side competition on Saturday 12th April (boys) and the girls competition the following Saturday 19th April 2008. It is a quite a while since an official competition between the local middle schools has been organised and this is yet another clear sign of the general boom hockey is currently enjoying in Gibraltar and all due to the work of the GHA and its helpers. The teams playing as follows:

Group A	Group B
St.Joseph's Bishop Fitzgerald Green Sacred Heart Juniors St. Anne's White	Bishop Fitz Yellow Sacred Heart Seniors St. Anne's Red -----

The group stages will be played as from 10.00 in the morning with the play-offs & finals scheduled for after lunch.

Full results of the boys interschool will be published next week together with the fixtures for the girls competition.

It has been a very successful season for Grammarians so far as they currently lead both the men’s 1st & 2nd division league tables; already having won the first competition at stake, the SG Hambros Trophy, earlier this season. Their complete overhaul of aged players, their injection of youth and the appointment of Eric Abudarham Jnr. as their ‘general’ has met with a 100% success and all looks well for this young Grammarians team. Their 1st teams 1 – 0 victory over Eagles last week has practically guaranteed they will take the men’s 1st division this season and only a surprise defeat at the hands of Gib HT could threaten their current lead. Eagles men’s team have had a poor first half of the season but their recent appointment of Carlos Buhagiar as team manager has definitely resulted in a much more improved and determined side. A lot of work up ahead for Carlos.

In the second division Grammarians blend of young and old has also been unmatched and they have won all their matches quite comfortably. The ladies league is now practically settled with Eagle Ladies once again proving too strong for all their competitors, their 7 – 1 demolition of the Barclays Wealth team last week a clear indication of supremacy, if one was needed at all.

The GHA held a meeting last week with all the players who have been selected as part of the initial 26 man squad to play in the Under 21 men’s hockey championships this summer.

The team will commence training shortly and in fact it has now been confirmed that it is well over 20 years since the GHA has had a pool of so many players to choose from, no doubt the fruits of the hard work of the GHA and its coaches. Competition to make the final 18 will be intensive and very positive as this will guarantee a top, quality squad who will be aiming to take the gold medal at this competition. The team coach will be Eric Abudarham Jnr. assisted by several other youth coaches. The GHA are currently attempting to acquire the services of Karl Stago, coach of top English side Surbiton, to accompany the squad to Azerbaijan as Manager of the team. Below are the players Initially selected for this tournament.

Craig bonnici, glenn Zammit, Shane Ramagge, Ashley perez, sean robba, bobby grech, karl lima, Lee Ramagge, eric Casciaro (Grammarians) daniel cornelio, craig henwood, jysen Munoz, Dylan Gomez, charles buhagiar, craig davis (Eagles) Dylan collado, sean martinez, kevagn apap, sean apap, Isven efigenio, christian Garcia, kyle villa, james darby, kayron Stagno, Andrew zayas (Gib HT)