GHB & Hockey fraternity mourns loss of Hon. Sect. Elton Gregory Sills

Team Captain Elton Gregory Sills (left) receiving the winning veteran’s trophy on the 2009 tour to Washington good friend and tournament organiser, Jeremy Roberts.

The Hockey fraternity in Guyana is in a state of shock following the passing of long serving Honorary Secretary and former player, Elton Gregory Sills. Following is the full release issued by the Guyana Hockey Board.
The Guyana Hockey Board mourns the passing of long-time Honorary Secretary, Mr. Elton Gregory Sills. Gregory served as an administrator of hockey from as far back as 1997. He has served with distinction as the Honorary Secretary of the GHB since 2001. Gregory was the longest serving administrator on the current Executive Committee of the GHB and, apart from his very important function as Secretary, provided the sport with experience and vast institutional knowledge of the sport.
Gregory began playing the game in Linden where he lived in his younger years and was one of a long list of outstanding players to emerge from the mining town. He represented Guyana in International competition back in 1989 as a midfielder in the South American Championships held in Caracas Venezuela. He was also an instrumental player for Mack’s Ace Hockey Club which ruled hockey in Guyana for several years in the 1980’s.
After his playing days were over Gregory utilized his knowledge of the game as a coach. He eventually was challenged with the task of coaching Guyana’s male junior national team in the Junior Caribbean Championships and the Junior Pan American Championships in 1992.
Under his guidance, Guyana won Gold medals in the Junior Caribbean Championships. Gregory went on to further success in coaching the senior men’s national team for several years before retiring from coaching after his team’s creditable performance in the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1994 where they narrowly missed the Bronze medals.
Gregory also served on several occasions as team manager for Guyana’s national hockey team with his last such appointment being as recent as the Caribbean Championships of 2007 in Trinidad.
In addition to all these contributions, Gregory coordinated many junior summer camps and coaching courses locally and represented the Guyana Hockey Board as a Council Member of the Guyana Olympic Association.
The Guyana Hockey Board has lost a great resource and friend in Gregory Sills. He has surely made an impact on everyone in the current hockey fraternity and will be sorely missed. May he rest in peace.