…Bajans dominate overseas contingent

By Sean Devers
WORLD Over-35 Masters Champion and Guyana’s 2022 Sportswoman of the year, Nicolette Fernandes, will headline the BCQS Squash Masters Championships that is scheduled to commence this evening at the Georgetown Club squash courts.

The 39-year-old Fenanades will compete in the Men’s draw in the four-night tournament that will conclude on Saturday.

There will be a ‘Bajan’ invasion and the locals will try to dominate the guests in what is anticipated to be a riveting competition.

The Canada-born Fernandes, who won a Pan Am Games Gold Medal last year, will match racquets with Reagan Rodrigues in match five of the opening night.

This will be the first tournament of a packed year for Squash in Guyana and it will be followed by the Bounty Farm Mashramani Handicap tournament that starts on February 15th.

Today, the action on court should be fast and furious with Javid Rahaman playing Dane Pereira, Javid Ali battling Nicholas Narain, Regan Pollard opposing Jason Van Dijk and Lee Fung-a-Fat competing with Jonathan Antczak in several all-Guyana matches.

Among the International players from Barbados are Shawn Simpson (O-35), Mark Sealy, Marlon White, Sanjay Amin, Dean Straker and Frank Jordan (O-55).

The O-65s from Barbados are Orson Simpson, Errol Pilgrim and Tony Roach.

Competing also are Trinidadian Peter Pirtheesingh and Mark Francis of BVI in the Over-45.

Winston Findlay from BVI will play in the Over-65 while Vincentian Hazel Ann-Sandy will compete on the distaff side in the Over-35 category.

According to Chairman of Competitions, Deje Dias, they have confirmed over fifteen international players from across the Southern-Caribbean that will be on show.

The GSA executive said that players set to be here (in Guyana) for the BCQS 2023 Squash Masters hail from countries such as Barbados, British Virgin Islands (BVI), Trinidad and Tobago and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

There will be matches every night with at least four being contested each day. The GSA also promised a little extra action happening on Friday with the first of the finals to be hosted on Saturday afternoon.

Action is scheduled to start at 16.00hrs today.