By Sean Devers
THE Guyana squash unit leaves on Friday for the Pan Am qualifiers in Columbia with USA-based coach, Ramon Chan-a-Sue quietly confident that the Nicolette Fernandes-led Women’s team will qualify for the Pan Games.
“I think we have a great opportunity especially on the women’s side. For the men’s it could be a challenge but I think the guys are up for it.

We have a nice blend of experience and youth on the team. Alex (Arjoon) and Jason (Khalil) are seasoned campaigners now and Sam and Daniel (Ince cousins) provide that youthful energy that will be required to compete with some of the elite players in the world
The women are an experienced group now, led by Nicolette (Fernandes) and Ashley (Khalil). “We are a much more experienced and improved group from the four that qualified four years ago for the Peru Games,” disclosed Coach Ramon.

“We did a prep camp a week ago, to get everyone focused and to help everyone to start to peak for the event. It was a good three days of training and I think everyone came out energized” informed Ramon who has been Guyana’s senior team coach for the last nine years.
“These qualifiers bring out some of the Pan Am Region’s best players, including current World #1 Diego Elias of Peru and Miguel Rodriquez of Colombia (WR #12), Olivia Clyne (WR #13) and Sabrina Sobhy (#15) of the USA.

These are just a few of the great players taking part. It will be a battle for a top eight positions on both sides,” Coach Ramon added.
“I think we will have a great opportunity to win a medal if we qualify for the Games, especially in doubles, we came close the last time and I think we are more experienced this time around.
Since Squash was introduced at the Pan Am Games in 1995, Nicolette has won Guyana’s only medal (Bronze) in the individuals and won the only gold medal for Guyana at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games in Colombia before suffering a knee injury the following year which kept her out of action for 23 months.

But the ageless Nicolette, who turns 40 on June 19, has returned to Court in the second chapter of her illustrious career and last year won the Senior Pan American Squash Championships in Guatemala in April before becoming the first Female Guyanese to win Gold at the World Master’s Championship in Poland in August.
“I think she is playing as good as I have ever seen her play and I was there when she started her competitive career as a junior. She is as fit as usual and has made adjustments to her game to conserve her body now,” said Coach Ramon, who played for Guyana from 1990 to 2015.

“It’s going to have to be a team effort, they are all going to have to be drivers on this trip, we can’t have passengers, everyone has to contribute, and if we can do that, we have a great chance of qualifying.
I would like to thank the GOA for their support and we look forward to making Guyana proud again,” stated Coach Ramon.
The Pan Games is set from October 20 to November 5 in Chile.