Barbados beat Guyana to capture Junior CASA title after 12 years

Guyana, having won the Junior Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) championships for 12 straight years, conceded the title to Barbados yesterday when action came to a close at the Georgetown Club courts.
The Guyanese girls were the first to be defeated, in the morning session, as the Barbadian females won 5-0 in their encounter.
Guyana’s Taylor Fernandes lost 5-11, 4-11, and 1-11 to Bajan Meagan Best, while Rebecca Low went down to Amanda Heywood in sets of 3-11, 7-11 and 5-11.
In the third matchup between the two countries, the Barbadian Jodi Smith-Padmore downed Guyana’s Makeda Harding 11-9, 11-6 and 11-5. Harding’s teammate Abosaide Cadogan then went down to Chelsie Samuel by 11-6, 11-9 and 12-10.

In the fifth and final match, Kirsten Gomes barely offered any resistance to Suimairaa Suleman, who condemned Guyana to defeat with straight sets of 11-2, 11-4 and 11-1.
Guyana’s Male team took on their Bajan counterparts in the second session of the day in what was anticipated to be a mouthwatering clash. However, it was a disappointing encounter, as the Guyanese lost 4-1.

Guyana’s Benjamin Mekdeci offered brief resistance before losing out to Josiah Griffith in sets of 14-12, 11-8 and 11-6, while Alexander Cheeks forced a fifth set with Reginald Brewster, who eventually won by scores of 11-5, 11-7, 11-13, 6-11 and 11-6.
Khamal Cumberbatch handed Guyana their third loss when he beat Daniel Islam in straight sets of 11-2, 11-5 and 11-4.
Shomari Wiltshire was the lone ranger for Guyana, claiming their only win when he defeated Darien Benn in sets of 11-2, 11-2 and 11-1.
Michael Alphonso’s loss confirmed Barbados’s first title win in over 12 years, when Alex Stewart won in sets of 11-13, 11-7, 11-8 and 11-5.
Guyana had previously won the title consecutively from 2005 to 2016.