Manager of the women's national hockey team Jameel Beharry said a lack of proper preparation and under-performance by some key players accounted for the team's fifth place finish at the second round of the

World Hockey League in Brazil.

The T&T women finished the six-team round-robin tournament in fifth position, two spots lower than Beharry and his squad was aiming for when they were preparing to go to the South American country back in late February.

"Yes, there were teams who were higher ranked than us but we also didn't get the sort of output from some of our key players," Beharry said without identifying names and the reasons, "And we definitely need to do better on the preparation side for tournaments like this."

Beharry said even taking into consideration the team was not at full strength and the selectors were blooding some of the younger players, the team should have done better.

Beharry said the Trinidad and Tobago Hockey Board (TTHB), like many other national sporting organisations (NSOs), did not have access to the required funds to ensure proper preparation, including competition and matches against higher level teams.

On the positive side, Beharry said the locally-based and younger players gained valuable experience, which augurs well for their next major international assignment in September the Pan Am Cup.

Coming out of the Brazil tournament, Beharry said he would recommend that the players get back to work in April and build on the team from there.

Beharry said he completed his report yesterday and would have to meet with the (TTHB) to analyse and make other recommendations for the national team going forward.

But Beharry hammered home that international level competitions and practice matches would be indispensible to the squad's performance at the Pan Am Cup.

"I know money is tight but if we are to compete against top ranked teams at these tournaments, we have got to do what is necessary to source and gain that much-needed experience for the women and the men's team for that matter," Beharry said, " There is no skirting that issue."