The Trinidad and Tobago men's hockey team lost their opening Pan American Games Group A match 7-2 to Canada, at the Pan American Hockey Stadium, in Guadalajara, Mexico, yesterday.

T&T started the match positively with Christopher Scipio scoring in the opening minute to give the Caribbean side an early lead. But Canada surged back with Matthew John Guest getting the equaliser in the second minute for the first goal of his hat-trick. Canada went ahead in the 26th through Martin Tupper before Tristram Smythe's double in the 29th and 30th gave the North Americans a 4-1 lead.

Kwandwane Browne then pulled one back in the 35th minute before Guest completed his hat-trick with goals in the 37th and 46th. Andrew Wright completed the scoring in the 62nd minute to seal the result.

T&T will play their next match against Barbados tomorrow.

On Wednesday night, France-based professional table tennis player Dexter St Louis lost 4-1 in the men's singles round of 16 to eventual gold medallist Liu Song of Argentina.

Song won the first two games 11-7, 11-6 before St Louis took the third 11-9 to keep alive his chances of advancing. But Song was too good, taking the next two games 11-3, 11-8 to move into the quarterfinals.

Song went on to beat Mexico's Marcos Madrid 4-1 in yesterday's final.

The T&T women's hockey team will be in action today. They face Barbados in their second Group A game. T&T sailor Andrew Lewis will be on show in the laser class competition. Shooter Robert John Auerbach competes in men's skeet qualifying. And the T&T men's football team face Mexico in a Group A match.

T&T's women's footballers squared off against Mexico after press time last night, in a Group A fixture.

-Roger Seepersad

Source: www.trinidadexpress.com