A well prepared team of 17 young squash players are scheduled to depart local shores in the earlier hours tomorrow [FRIDAY] morning for Bermuda where they are scheduled to represent Guyana’s efforts at this year’s Junior Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Championships which will be held from 13 – 19 July.

The team of nine boys and eight girls will be travelling alongside national coach Carl Ince, and team manager Garfield Wiltshire, and Ince believes that the reigning champions are as ready as they will ever be to give a good show for themselves at the prominent event.

Notwithstanding the prospect that the other countries have been training just as much as, or even more than, the Guyana side, Ince believes that Guyana stands a very good chance of retaining their title.

“Yes, they are well prepared. Each year when we go in thinking that we didn’t train as many times as we want to, because of commitments, we tend to forget that the other countries also face some of the same challenges. If they all play to the best of their abilities I think we stand a very good chance.” Ince conveyed yesterday.

Guyana will be entering the competition as the team to beat having a stronghold nine consecutives win of the overall team title at the annual event. Guyana also stands with the boys and girls team titles. The Guyana’s girls’ team has an imposing eight consecutive wins of the girls’ team title, while the boys had alternating wins over the years prior to last year’s win.

Before the players are given the chance to fight it out for the team titles, the competition will open with play in individual categories where the players will fight for the boys’ and girls’ under 19, under 17, under 15 and under 13 titles.

On the Guyana side, Nyron Joseph will be the only current title holder. However, the three time Caribbean junior champion will not be able to defend his title after having advanced out of the age category. Joseph, who last year won the boys’ under 17 title, will this year be playing in the boys’ under 19 category alongside compatriot Jean Claude Jeffrey.

Joseph is not the only player who will be experiencing a new level of competition after aging into a new category, something that Ince believes will also be a challenge for the players, when they participate in the individual categories.

“When you move up to a category you meet stronger opponents and most of them move up so it’s a challenge for the players, but team wise we stand a much better chance.” Ince said.

Benjamin Mekdeci who played in the boys under 15 last year will be in the under 17 category this time around, also moving up a category are Akeila Wiltshire and Gabrielle Fraser who have moved into the girls under 19 category, this year, after having played in the girls under 17 category last year.

However the Guyana team has been known to face such challenges in the past and has always managed to rise to the occasion.

Other members on the team include Alec Melville and Matthew Phang in the boys under 17 category, Alex Cheeks in the boys under 15 and Shomari Wiltshire, and Danielle and Anthony Islam in the boys under 13 category.

On the girls side Wiltshire and Fraser will be joined by Victoria Arjoon in the girls’ under 19 category, Lorissa Wiltshire and Taylor Fernandes will be in the girls under 17 category, Rebecca Lowe and Sarah Lewis in the girls’ under 15 and young Makida Harding will be Guyana’s sole competitor in the girls’ under 13 category.