GUYANA got off to an outstanding start in the individual section of the VIII Pan American Junior Squash Championships, currently under way in El Salvador. According to a release, the team of Deje Dias, Jason Ray Khalil, Ashley Khalil and Keisha and Kayla Jeffrey are representing Guyana in the individual, team, female doubles and mixed doubles categories. Guyana’s Under-19 champion Alex Arjoon fell ill just before the team travelled and was forced to miss the championships.
All the Guyanese players who played their first-round matches yesterday morning won comfortably, except for Deje Dias who gave a typically gritty performance to get past Santiago Sevilla of Ecuador. Kayla Jeffrey was the only Guyanese yet to play her match and she was scheduled to take on Maria Eva of Guatemala, Thursday evening.
The second round matches of the individual category were set for yesterday while the doubles will commence tomorrow. In the individual category, Guyana’s Keisha Jeffrey defeated Mikaela Albujaof (ECU) 11-1, 14-12, 11-8; Ashley Khalil beat Rebeca Avila (ESA) 11-4, 11-3, 11-7; Dias edged Santiago Sevilla (ECU) 11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9 and Jason Khalil defeated Kawika Bolens (ESA) 7-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-8.