FOR THE NEXT two days, shooting and hockey will continue to be the disciplines in which Jamaica competes at the 2003 Pan Am Games being held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Today, having failed to qualify for the 1999 Games in Winnipeg, Canada, Jamaica's women hockey team faces the mountainous task of beating the United States as they play their first game of the tournament at 4:30 p.m.
The Jamaicans are drawn in Pool B alongside Canada, the US and Uruguay. The other games to be played pit 1999 Pan Am Games champions Argentina against 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games champions Trinidad and Tobago at 7:30 a.m. while Chile tackle hosts the Dominican Republic at 2:30 p.m. and Canada face Uruguay at 6:30 p.m.
In June, the Jamaica national team went on a four-game tour of the US and was
badly beaten by the hosts. They lost three heavily (8-0, 8-1, 6-0) to the American senior team and the other 4-2 to an Under-23 team with five senior nationals.
The US finished second at the Pan American Cup in 2001.
Yesterday, the multi-sport championships saw Jamaica shooting for an early medal with the rifle.
The country's lone rifle girl at the Games, Dawn Kobaysahi, failed to make it into the medal round of the 10-metre air rifle competition. The event, which was the first final of the meet, was won by Cuba's Eglis Cruz, making her the Games' first gold medallist.
The Jamaican-born Kobayashi, who left for Canada at age 16, competed with a tattoo of a target and a Maple Leaf over top of the island on her right shoulder.
In the other completed final, artistic gymnastics' gold went to the United States (148.982 points), Canada (148.982) earned the silver whilst the bronze was claimed by Brazil (143.732).
Kobayashi will also be in action today, this time carrying a pistol instead of a rifle as she competes in the 10m pistol competition.
The nation's men will also be in shooting action. The competitors will be drawn from Warren Blake, Roland Brown, Keith Hammond and David Rickman who will be gun carriers in trap shooting.
Today's second day will see action in baseball, basketball, bowling, water polo, wrestling, field hockey, artistic gymnastics, handball, shooting, volleyball and beach volleyball.
Jamaica has only eight teams; hockey, athletics, shooting, squash, swimming, badminton, cycling and tennis. As a result, shooting and hockey will be the only departments in which the country competes today.
