GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – World-rated Nicolette Fernandes is heading Guyana’s team to the 2009 Senior Caribbean Area Squash Association Championship in the Cayman Islands later this month.

Reigning Caribbean age-group champions Keisha Jeffrey and Victoria Arjoon will join Fernandes in the four-member women’s unit while reigning local champion Kristian Jeffrey heads the men’s list for the Guyanese.

The Cayman Islands stepped in as hosts following the late withdrawal of Trinidad and Tobago because of growing fears over the H1N1 virus.

Fernandes, currently 103rd in the women’s world rankings, missed the last Caribbean Senior Championship in Jamaica two years ago when she was sidelined by a knee injury.

She will be making her second trip to Cayman in three months, having contested the international Cayman Open tournament there in May.

Guyana’s women’s line-up for the August 17-22 tournament is completed by Keisha Jeffrey, who recently won the Caribbean Under-17 title in Barbados, Victoria Arjoon, the Caribbean U-15 title-holder, and Kayla Jeffrey.

The men’s team will comprise Kristian Jeffrey, Regan Pollard, Alex Arjoon, Raphael DeGroot, and Oliver Kear.

At the last Caribbean Senior Championship which was aborted by Hurricane Dean in Jamaica in 2007, Jamaican Karen Anderson upset Barbadian Karen Meakins for the women’s title and Barbadian Gavin Cumberbatch captured the men’s crown over Trinidad and Tobago’s Colin Ramasra.

Over 100 players are expected to contest the tournament including competitors from Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Bermuda and hosts Cayman Islands.