Fernandes, Khalils claim top spots at Independence Squash tournament

The National Racquet Center, Woolford Avenue was buzzing with excitement over the weekend as the country’s top squash players got in on the 60th Independence Jubilee action.
Nicolette Fernandes, Alex Arjoon, Ashley and Jason Ray Khalil, Ethan Bulkan and Kaylee Lowe were among the outstanding performers over the weekend.
Veteran ace Fernandes cruised to victory in the Women’s Singles event. Fernandes had earlier defeated Mary Fung-A-Fat 11-9, 11-8, 11-4 in the semi-finals to set up a date with Ashley Khalil in the championship match.
Khalil booked her final ticket with a 2-11, 11-6, 8-11, 5-11 victory over Kirsten Gomes. In the final, experience trumped youth in a 11-8, 11-2, 11-8 win for Fernandes.

In the third-place playoff, Fung-A-Fat outplayed Gomes 11-1, 11-5, 11-6.
An exhilarating, lengthy battle between Alex Arjoon and Jason Ray Khalil was witnessed for the men’s championship as the former prevailed 6-11, 11-7, 6-11, 11-8, 7-11. Arjoon earlier got the better of Ashante Smith 5-11, 6-11, 6-11 to book his spot in the final while Khalil had overcome Nicholas Verwey in another hard-fought battle 11-7, 10-12, 11-7, 9-11, 14-12.
Battling for the third-place spot, Smith went the distance with Verwey and came out on top 11-2, 9-11, 3-11, 3-11.
The Khalil siblings later had their moment in the sun, romping to a 11-4, 11-7 win over Alex Arjoon and Fung-A-Fat in the senior Mixed Doubles category.
Ashley Khalil added another gold to her tally, this time teaming up with Fung-A-Fat for a 11-8, 11-1 win over Abosaide Cadogan and Kirsten Gomes in the women’s doubles division.
In the men’s version of that event, Jason Ray Khalil and Nicholas Verwey tasted victory in a 11-7, 9-11, 11-4 thumping of Louis Da Silva and Ashante Smith.
In the junior categories, Ethan Bulkan rose to the summit of the Junior Boys’ division with a gruelling 10-12, 12-10, 11-9, 11-7 victory over Joshua Verwey in the final.
Both finalists had a tough road to the championship match. Bulkan overcame Justin Ten Pow 11-7, 11-9, 5-11, 5-11, 11-8 in the first semifinal while Verwey got the better of Egan Bulkan 3-11, 11-5, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8.
Ten Pow later had his redemption with a 11-4, 7-11, 11-5, 11-8 win over Bulkan in the third-place playoff.
Another marathon of a match resulted in Kaylee Lowe winning the Junior Girls’ division after defeating Emily Fung-A-Fat 11-9, 9-11, 8-11, 11-6, 7-11 in the final.
Fung-A-Fat had earlier overcame Paige Mendonca 11-4, 11-4, 11-7 for a spot in the final while Lowe punched her ticket with a 9-11, 5-11, 9-11 win over Malia Maikoo.
Maikoo claimed the remaining podium position, getting the better of Mendonca 11-9, 9-11, 1-11, 6-11 in the playoff.
Lowe brought home a second gold, teaming up with Louis Da Silva for a 11-5, 11-4 win in the Junior Mixed Doubles over Ethan Bulkan and Emily Fung-A-Fat.