Bermuda has been granted the opportunity to host the Pan American Cup hockey competition in February, 2009, a decision handed down by the Pan American Hockey Federation last week.

The Pan American Cup is the highest standalone tournament awarded by the Pan American hockey Federation and is held every four years.

The competition will take place over a 10-day period in Bermuda and will involve 12 teams from the Pan American region including Bermuda who have received an automatic entry as tournament hosts.

Among the countries set to compete on local shores will be 2004 Olympic bronze medallists Argentina and 2007 Pan American Games silver and bronze medallists, USA and Netherland Antilles.

President of the Bermuda Hockey Federation, Elizabeth Hartley, believed that with the Games coming to Bermuda, the country would help give the sport a higher profile.

"We are going to offer free entry for schools during the daytime as our big focus in the BHF is on youth development and getting as many kids as possible involved and interested in taking up hockey," said Hartley.

"For the teachers we hope this will encourage them to use the (National Sports Centre) pitch and introduce the sport to their classes. For the most part the pitch is empty between 9 a.m. and 3.30 p.m., so they could use the facility to introduce the game to the children.

"The players will have a rest day during the week and we plan to hold a kids clinic on that rest day with some of the top players from the region as well as holding a Q&A.

"For our national team, which is all Bermudian, it will be an opportunity to play firstly in front of a home crowd and secondly against countries we would not otherwise have the chance to play such as Canada, the US, and the South American countries of Argentina, Brazil and Chile.

"These countries do not participate in the CAC Games so never would meet them in competition at the senior level.

"There is no doubt that our team can only gain from watching and playing against these countries.

"If the Pan Am Cup is a success, it opens the door for us host more tournaments including the CACs, Pan Am Juniors, as well as encourage more visiting teams from the USA and Canada to come here."

The top ranked team in the tournament are Argentina, followed by the USA, both of whom have qualified for the Beijing Olympics next month.

The Argentinean women have dominated the hockey scene on the continent, having won every Pan American competition which includes the Pan American Games, Pan American Cup along with the Junior Pan-Am Championships.

Other countries expected to be included in the line-up are Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, Jamaica, Chile, Dominican Republic, Brazil and Puerto Rico.

Hartley said the opportunity for Bermuda's players to face Olympic calibre teams was daunting but exciting for players who might never get the chance again to face the best in the region.

The tournament matches will be played at the astro-turf pitch located at the NSC and will start in the morning and finish with two evening matches.