Following the staging of the annual general meeting of the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) held in the Cayman Islands, the governing body has invited Guyana to bid to host the 2010 Senior Caribbean Championships and the 2011 junior tournament, a press release from the Guyana Squash Association (GSA) stated.
And, the GSA is looking forward to staging those events.
“It is expected that the new squash facilities being constructed by the Government of Guyana will be ready by the first quarter of next year and will be a co-facility for these tournaments,” the release stated.
It was also disclosed that the GSA plans to expand its tournament schedule to include at least two veterans only tournaments in an effort to make Guyana more competitive in the higher age categories at future regional events.
The Guyana veterans team had the misfortune of playing with only two players at the CASA tournament in the Cayman Islands.
As a result, Alwyn Callender, Brendon Mounter and Chauncey Lee, “had their work cut out for them in team competition,” the release stated.
“The veterans were at a tremendous advantage as they began each team encounter down by two matches.
“Mounter, who is based in the United Kingdom, overcame stiff competition to win three of his four matches and take the Veteran Men’s Over-40 Caribbean title,” the release stated.
“This victory was especially sweet for Mounter as he suffered a severe calf injury just two weeks before the tournament and his place had looked doubtful, the release added.
The performances of the overall Guyana team was described as …“reasonable.”
The men’s team included three junior players in Alexander Arjoon, Oliver Downes and Raphael De Groot.
The other two players were Kristian Jeffrey, who departed the junior ranks only two years ago and Reagan Pollard, who was making a return to regional competition. “The junior players played above expectations winning important matches against superior opposition,” the release stated.
Pollard’s return to regional competition after a long hiatus was described as “excellent”.
The Guyana women’s team was undoubtedly boosted by the presence of world ranked Nicolette Fernandes.
Fernandes was a cut above the other women players and easily dispatched all comers including the No. 2 seed, Karen Meakins of Barbados in the women’s singles final. “Again Guyana suffered without a fifth woman. Junior players, Keisha and Kayla Jeffrey and Victoria Arjoon had an incredible tournament playing older and stronger players and holding their own, and in several instances, winning critical team and individual match against higher ranked players,” the release stated.
Trinidad won the treble at the championships claiming the men’s and women’s team titles and being crowned overall champions.
The Guyana women’s team was beaten by Barbados for the bronze medal while the men’s team failed to reach the final four.
Meanwhile, the GSA said it wished to thank sponsors – Ansa McAl, GT&T, Bounty Farm, John Fernandes and the National Sports Commission/Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport who provided important sponsorship especially for junior players, Downes, Arjoon, deGroot, Keisha and Kayla Jeffrey and Victoria Arjoon.
