GSA President says

PRESIDENT of the Guyana Squash Association (GSA), David Fernandes, declared that 2024 was another great year for Squash.
Fernandes, a former National Hockey player who represented Guyana from 1989 to 1995 at the Junior & Senior Championships, explained the GSA’s achievements during the year.
Fernandes added that there were many positives to look forward to in the future.

“The news that Squash will be a part of 2028 in Los Angeles is great for the sport and will motivate players to want to work towards this opportunity of becoming an Olympian” Fernandes explained.
Fenanades who was first elected to head the GSA in 2013, said the biggest thing for local Squash was the official opening of the Doubles Courts at the National Racquet Centre last August.

Winning the Senior Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Championships for the fourth consecutive time after Ashley Khalil and Ashely DeGroot captured Gold in Women’s Doubles for a third successive Championship on the new Doubles Courts built by the Government.
“The Double Courts will not only change the Development of doubles but will also have a major impact on the level of our individual play” continued Fernandes, the Managing Director of Bounty Farm Ltd, the largest entity in the local Poultry Industry.
Fernandes posited that the GSA is most pleased with the effort being shown by their athletes which has been very good.

Last August, at 41, Nicolette Fernandes added another title to her impressive resume, winning the women’s 40+ category at the World Squash Federation Masters tournament in the Netherlands.
She also won the women’s singles title at the recently concluded One Guyana President’s Cup Squash Championships.

“Because squash needs a room with space for the sports to be played, it limits our ability to spread the game to all corners of our country. This is the biggest challenge.
Fernandes said it would be a major challenge for Squash to be taken to Schools unless more Courts are built but added that 2025 will be another big year for Squash.

The Senior CASA Championships, held from August 17 to 24 was launched at the NRC, Woolford Avenue, Georgetown.
The ceremony was made possible through the partnership of the Guyana government, the Guyana Olympic Association and the GSA.

Barbados, Cayman Islands, Barbuda, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica and Guyana were the Countries involved.

Men’s Team Champions GUYANA (Michael Alphonso, Daniel Ince, Sam Ince-Carvalhal, Jason Ray Khalil, and Shomari Wiltshire). Cayman Islands (Silver), Barbados (Bronze)
Women’s Team Champions GUYANA (Ashley DeGroot, Mary Fung-A-Fat, Ashley Khalil, Akeila Wiltshire and Larissa Wiltshire). Barbados (Silver), Cayman (Bronze)
Men’s Open Individual-Champion Khamal Cumberbatch (Barbados), Silver-Julian Jervis (Cayman), Bronze -Alex Arjoon (Guyana)

Women’s Open Individual Champion Margot Prow (Barbados), Silver -Mary Fung-a-Fat (Guyana), Bronze- Amanda Haywood (Barbados)
Men’s Doubles Champions- Julian Jervis & Cameron Stafford (Cayman), Silver- Darien Benn & Shawn Simpson (Barbados), Bronze-Sam Ince-Carvalhal & Jason Ray Khalil (Guyana)
Women’s Doubles Champions Ashley DeGroot & Ashley Khalil (Guyana), Silver- (Barbados), Bronze (Cayman)

Mixed Doubles Champions- Margo Prow & Khamal Cumberbatch (Barbados), Silver- Mary Fung-A-Fat & Alex Arjoon) Bronze (Jamaica)
Men’s Veterans Team Champions BARBADOS, Silver- Guyana, Bronze-Jamaica
Women’s Veteran Team Champions CAYMAN ISLANDS, Silver- Guyana, Bronze- Barbados
Women’s 50+ Champion (Cayman)

Silver- Lydia Fraser (Guyana), Bronze- Barbados
On August 22, 2024, Nicolette Fernandes won the women’s 40+ category at the World Squash Federation Masters tournament in the Netherlands.
July 6, 2024: Guyana’s junior squash team (Nicholas Verwey, Michael Alphonso Jr., Zion Hickerson, and Justin Goberdhan) secured a second-place finish at the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Championships at the Tortola Sports Club, British Virgin Islands. The girls’ team secured fifth place.
Guyana’s doubles pairs were also impressive. Verwey and Avery Arjoon secured gold in the Mixed Doubles category, while the boys’ duo of Alphonso Jr. and Mohryan Baksh collected silver.
Lowe and Sumner finished joint third in the girls’ doubles.

Guyana returned home with nine medals, including gold for Verwey (U-19) and Arjoon (U-15).
Locally, the Kraft Mac and Cheese Skill Level was held in May and in June 2024 while a Saturday Morning Class was held at the GT Club.
The Enet Works Nationals Seniors and the Woodpecker-Junior-Nationals were held in March, the Bounty Mash Handicap 2024 was held in February 2024 as was the C1 and C2 Bounty-Farm-Ltd-Mashramani-Handicap.
The C3 BCQS Guyana Squash Masters 2024 was held on January 31