THE Guyana Squash Association has trimmed its national junior squad to 19, following the recently concluded Woodpecker Products-sponsored National Junior Championships which concluded on Sunday last at the Georgetown Club Courts.

According to a release, the final team of 14 players will be named in mid-June after playoffs involving those who were unable to participate in the national championships due to CXC exams, as well as others who are currently attending school overseas.

The parents of the children named below are asked to attend a meeting at the Georgetown Club today at 18:00 h.

(Girls) Akeila Wiltshire, Gabrielle Fraser, Victoria Arjoon, Mary Fung-A-Fat, Kayla Jeffrey, Keisha Jeffrey, Ashley deGroot, Ashley Khalil, Alysa Xavier and Daina King. (Boys) Nyron Joseph, Ryan DaSilva, Steven Xavier, Jean Claude Jeffrey, Jason Ray Khalil, Raphael deGroot, Oliver Downes, Deje Dias and Alexander Arjoon.

At the just concluded National Junior Championships, deGroot won the Boys’ Under-19 category, while Jason Ray Khalil won the Boys’ Under-17 as well as the Boys’ Under-15 titles.

Nyron Joseph was the winner of the Boys’ Under-13 title and Ben Mekdeci, the winner of the Boys’ Under-11 title.

In the Girls’ individual championships, Keisha Jeffrey won the Girls’ Under-19 as well as the Under-17 titles while defending Caribbean Under-15 Fung-A-Fat won the Under-15 title.

Akeila Wiltshire won the Girls Under-13 title and Rebecca Low the Girls’ Under-11 title.

Despite their victories, the various title holders will be involved in a play-off with those who were not able to participate in the tournament due to CXC exams and among those players are former Caribbean champions Alex Arjoon and Ashley Khalil along with national players Deje Dias, Alysa Xavier and Ashley deGroot. According to national coach Carl Ince, when the final 14 players have been selected, an intense training programme will be implemented leading up to the Junior Caribbean Championships to be held in Barbados in July.

Earlier in the week, Ince told Chronicle Sport that he has a lot of confidence in the squad that has been selected to undergo training for possible selection on the national team to represent Guyana at the Junior Caribbean Championships.

He had said once there is no illness or injuries, there is no reason why Guyana cannot make a successful defence of the titles they won last year.

Last year, the Guyanese won three individual titles as well as the Boys’, Girls’ and Overall Team titles.

Ince is confident that the girls will retain their team title “I was more that happy with the performances of the girls (in the just concluded national junior tournament) and it seems likely that they can repeat last year’s achievement.” (Michael DaSilva)