The Jamaica men’s hockey team made history on Sunday as they qualified for the 2024 Hockey 5s World Cup. The team finished third at the Pan American Confederation Hockey 5s World Cup Qualifiers at the Mona Hockey Field.

The Jamaicans booked their ticket following a comfortable 5-2 victory over Paraguay.

Nickoy Stephenson and Shemar Gordon starred in a dominant display by the hosts.

Stephenson underlined his performance on the day with a nine-minute hattrick to set the early tone for the host team.

He opened the scoring for the host in the third minute after comfortably slotting past Paraguay’s goalkeeper Roberto Fleitas, before doubling Jamaica’s lead four minutes later following a penalty corner to make it 2-0.

Gordon extended Jamaica’s lead in the ninth minute, following a field goal, before Stephenson returned in minute 12 to complete his hattrick with a second field goal after Paraguay’s Elia Vera pulled one back for the South Americans to make it 4-1

Despite Guillermo Benitez’s 14th-minute penalty corner in halving the deficit, Gordon put the game to bed in the 20th minute which proved to be the final say on the matter as the Jamaicans held on to confirm their ticket to the Hockey 5s World Cup.

Jamaica joins Trinidad and Tobago and the United States as regional qualifiers for the tournament which will be held in Muscat, Oman, from January 24-31.

The US won the Hockey 5s Cup with a 3-2 penalty shoot-out victory over Trinidad and Tobago, after that game ended 3-3.