Guyana romp to 12th consecutive Junior Caribbean Squash Championship

Guyana won the overall Team title for the 12th consecutive year when the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Junior Championship wrapped up on Saturday in the Cayman Islands.

Guyana defeated the Cayman Islands 3-2 in the Boys final, but loss by a similar margin in the Girls final to Barbados.

First it was a repeat of last year’s Girls Final as Barbados aimed to retain the title they won last year against Guyana, who had won the previous nine editions. In the Girls final round robin playoff against Barbados, which was a virtual final as both teams were unbeaten the crucial match would be the Girls Under 13 tie as both teams knew that Team Guyana would most likely win the two Girls Under 19 matches and Barbados would win the Under 17 and Under 15 matches.

The two Under 13 girls Abosaide Cadogan and Sumairaa Suleman took to the court for the first match. Sumairaa was the defending Girls Under 13 champion who had earlier this week retained her title but she had not yet played Abosaide in the tournament. The two girls matched each other stroke for stroke in the first game but Sumairaa won this crucial game 11-9. The second game was even closer but again Sumairaa prevailed 12 -10. Losing these two games seemed to take the fight out of Abosaide and she lost the third game 3-11. Barbados had basically secured the Girls title.

In the girls Under 15 match, Makeda Harding was up against two time defending Girls Under 15 champion Megan Best and lost easily 2-11, 1-11, 2-11. Taylor Fernandes the 2016 Girls Under 19 runner-up quickly dispatched Chelsie Samuel 11 -3, 11-4, 11- 6 but two time defending Girls Under 17 champion Amanda Haywood easily defeated Rebecca Low 11-4, 11-2, 11-1 to clinch the Girls Team title for Barbados. In the dead rubber match Girls Under 19 champion Larissa Wiltshire defeated Jada Smith- Padmore 11-4, 11-4, 11-3. Team Guyana then knew that to win the Overall Team title the Boys team had to secure victory against Cayman Islands. First on court was two times defending Boys Under 13 champion Shomari Wiltshire against Jace Jarvis. Shomari won the first game 11-5 and then won the second game 11-6. The third game was quickly over with the score being 11-1. Next on court were the Under 15’s with Daniel Islam taking on David Pitcairn. Daniel won a close first game 11-6 but David was giving his all and won a close second game 11-8. It was do or die in the third game but Daniel played the big points better and won this crucial game 11-7.

Daniel held his nerve and won the fourth game 11-6 to give Team Guyana a crucial two matches to love lead. Ben Mekdeci was up next against 2016 Boys Under 19 champion Julian Jervis. Julian showed his true class with a clinical display as he defeated Ben 11-1, 11-1, 11-2. The crucial Boys Under 17 match was on next as Alex Cheeks was matched against Jason Sairsingh. The two had met earlier in the Pool tie and Alex had won by three games to love but today was different as it was the team final. Alex won a close first game 11-9 and then took the second game 11-3. At nine all in the third Alex was two points away from securing the victory for Team Guyana but it was not to be as Jason won the next two points and forced the match into a fourth game. The fourth game was neck and neck with both players giving their all. Again Alec was two points away from victory at 9-7 but Jason won the next point. That was as close as Jason got as Alex won the next two points and with that both the Boys team title and the Overall Team title. In the dead rubber match Rithew Saywack went the full five games with Isiah Robinson but narrowly lost 9-11, 11-9, 13-11, 8-11, 10-12.