Kahlil, Fung-A-Fat fall short in opening encounter

Pan American Games 2019…

The Guyanese Squash Team got off to a dismal start in their Pan American Games 2019 campaign, registering losses in the singles division on Thursday.
Ashley Khalil and Mary Fung- A-Fat opened Guyana’s 2019 Pan American Games’ bid on the squash courts, competing against some of the best players in the world. Unfortunately, they both suffered losses at the hands of the more experienced Chilean players.

Mary Fung-A-Fat lost to Chile’s Ana Pinto in a close encounter, losing three games and winning one (11-7, 11-14, 7-11, 12-10). Ashley Khalil went down by the same margin to another Chilean player, Giselle Delgado, who pipped Khalil after four thrilling matches (8-11, 12-14, 11-7, 2-11).
Speaking to media operatives in Peru, Khalil said she was satisfied with her opening performance, given the advantage the other players hold over the Guyanese athletes. She said she is looking to improve her performance as the games progress.
“Today was very nice. The courts are a lot different from (those) at home. These are cold courts, the ball does not bounce at all, so you’ve got to try and volley it. (These are) world class players, so I’m grateful for this experience, I could only learn from it. There is nothing negative that I could say, I can only go up from here,” Khalil stated.
Squash team manager David Fernandes has also said he is pleased with the ladies’ performances. “Today, I think, the girls were a little nervous. It was a big stage, so they had a little ‘butterflies in their stomach’. But I think tomorrow, again, they have a chance to do something special. The girls played very well today. I’m very proud of both of them, because they were down and they came back in the match, and there’s no reason why we should be disappointed in their efforts,” Fernandes explained.
Ashley Khalil will team up with Taylor Fernandes tomorrow morning as they take on the Chilean pair in the doubles’ competition. If Khalil and Fernandes pull off a win tomorrow, they will be guaranteed at least a bronze medal.

Rubgy
In other sports at these 2019 Games, the Guyana Rugby team is expected to open their campaign against USA at noon today. The team is said to be conditioning well, especially in relation to the cold atmosphere.
Physiotherapist Akeem Fraser has disclosed that each member of the team should be injury free, fit, and ready to compete today.
“In terms of injury-wise, there’s isn’t anything severe that would prevent anybody from playing. The team is coping pretty okay, and they should be ready to participate in the game on Friday (today),” he said.
Winger Patrick King spoke on behalf of his teammates, noting that they are focused on producing a better performance than those of recent times.
“I think, for us, it’s all about rebuilding. We know that we can play rugby better than (we did) in the last tournament, so we’re here to prove a point that we can, and build back hope with our fan base. That’s one of the main things for us in this tournament,” King stated.
The Pan American Games are expected to officially open today. Guyana is being represented by 28 athletes, who will be competing in eight sporting disciplines. (Jemima Holmes)