Guyana boys’ retain their title, girls’ finish second

GUYANA once again proved it has the best junior squash team in the Caribbean, after taking their 12th consecutive Caribbean team title, following their win of the boys’ team titles and girls’ team second- placed finish at the MAPLES Caribbean Junior Squash Championships which concluded yesterday at the South Sound Squash Club in the Cayman Islands.

Wins from boys’ under 13 champion, Shomari Wiltshire, Daniel Islam,and Alex Cheeks, kept the Guyana boys afloat as they prevailed 3 – 2 over Cayman Islands in the finals, to see the team successfully defend their title and net their fourth consecutive title.
Yesterday’s win marked the boys’ 18th overall team title at the annual Championships.
On the other hand, notwithstanding their upstanding fight, the Guyana girls lost 2 – 3 against Barbados, to finish second place.
As expected, the Guyana girls’ suffered heavy losses against the Bajan team, which boasted a line-up that included three Caribbean champions. Only girls’ under 19 finalists, Larissa Wiltshire and Taylor Fernandes, were able to manage wins in their matches.
The team’s lost to Barbados followed wins against Jamaica (5 – 0), Cayman Islands (4 – 1) and Trinidad (4 – 1), respectively.
Barbados’ girls’ under 15 player Jada Smith-Padmore was no match for girls’ under 19 champion, Larissa Wiltshire, when the two went head to head in the final match between the countries. Wiltshire took her out 11/4, 11/4, 11/3. Fernandes prevailed 11/3, 11/4, 11/6 against Chelsie Samuel, in the third match.
Earlier in the teams’ first match, girls’ under 13 champion Sumairaa Suleman’s winning streak was not to be cracked, and Guyana’s Abosaide Cadogan stood no chance. Losing the first set 9/11, Cadogan fought hard in the next but still went under 10/12. With not much steam left in Cadogan, Suleman wrapped up the final set 11/3, for the win.
Girls’ under 15 champion, Meagan Best, was next on the court, taking on Guyana’s Makeda Harding for an 11/2, 11/1, 11/2 win. Girls’ under 17 champion, Amanda Haywood, kept to the script and took a win against Rebecca Low, with the match ending 11/4, 11/2, 11/1.
Following the girls’ lost to Barbados, Guyana’s retention of the team title now depends on the boys’ assembling a win over the Cayman Islands.
Things got off to an upbeat start when the opening match pitted two- time Caribbean champion, Shomari, against boys’ under 13 third place finisher, Jace Jervis. In three sets, Shomari took out Jervis 11/5, 11/6, 11/1.
Next up, Daniel Islam was determined to snare another win for the ‘Golden Arrowhead’ when he came up against David Pitcairn, winning 11/6, 8/11, 11/7, 11/6.
Things took a turn for the worst when boys’ under 19 champion, Julian Jervis, got the better of Benjamin Mekdeci for an 11/1, 11/1, 11/2 win.
Guyana made it back into safe territory after Alex Cheeks sealed the deal for Guyana with an 11/9, 11/3, 9/11, 11/8 win over Jasun Sairsingh.
The team title win marked Guyana’s overall 22nd title at the competition.