Keisha Jeffrey and Ashley Khalil have met in several memorable encounters in the recent past. Jeffrey became the youngest ever senior ladies’ champion when she defeated Khalil in last year’s national final while Khalil took revenge in the Caribbean under-15 final.
Yesterday the two met in the final of the Girls Under-17 division when the curtains of the Woodpecker Products Ltd. sponsored Guyana Squash Association national junior championships came down at the Georgetown Club courts and what an exciting contest it was with Khalil eventually prevailing after five sets.
Khalil came out firing on all cylinders to put Jeffrey on the defensive.
She pounced on anything loose and reeled off winner after winner to take the first two games 9-3, 9-6.
Jeffrey, intelligently, changed her strategy in the third, throwing in high lobs which forced Khalil into a number of unforced errors and allowing Jeffrey to slowly take control of the match.
She tied it up by taking the next two sets 9-5, 9-5, then went up 6-4 in the fifth before Khalil’s never-say-die attitude came to the fore and she willed her way through to a repeat of two of the national titles she won last year claiming the final set 9-6.
National junior boys’ champion Kristian Jeffrey played his last tournament as a junior unbeaten after defeating Raphael de Groot who was later awarded the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament prize for his two upset victorious over Jason Ray Khalil and Javed Rahaman respectively.
At the presentation ceremony, owner of Woodpecker Products Ltd., Luana Fernandes, said that she was pleased to be involved with this event for the past several years. She also thanked all the coaches and said that in her opinion, the players were well prepared to take on the rest of the Caribbean in July.
Tournament organizer, Robert Fernandes, whilst announcing the various group winners, gave accolades to Kristian Jeffrey, who has represented Guyana from the tender age of 10.
“I must say that Kristian has been instrumental in ensuring Guyana retain their junior boys’ title at Caribbean championships and what better way for him to make his exit as a junior than to play unbeaten in this tournament.”
Robert Fernandes also announced that a team of 14 players would be named shortly to represent Guyana at the Caribbean junior championships in Bermuda from July 12-19.
Final Results of the tournament are as follows:
Girls Under 11: Larissa Wiltshire (Champion), Taylor Fernandes and Alexandra Phang.
Boys Under 11: Ben Mekdeci (champion), Patrick Fraser and Alec Melville.
Girls Under 13: Victoria Arjoon (champion), Akeila Wiltshire and Larissa Wiltshire
Boys Under 13: Jean Claude Jeffrey (champion), Nyron Joseph and Daniel Persaud.
Girls Under 15: Mary Fung-A-Fat (champion), Ashley de Groot and Victoria Arjoon.
Boys Under 15: Jason Ray Khalil (champion), Nyron Joseph and Jean Claude Jeffrey.
Girls Under 17: Ashley Khalil (champion), Keisha Jeffrey and Kayla Jeffrey.
Boys Under 17: Alex Arjoon (champion), Oliver Downes and Jason Ray Khalil.
Girls Under 19: Ashley Khalil (champion), Keisha Jeffrey and Kayla Jeffrey.
Boys Under 19: Kristian Jeffrey (champion), Raphael de Groot and Alex Arjoon.
Sportsmanship Award – Nicholas Peters
Most Improved Boy – Jean-Claude Jeffrey
Most Improved Girl – Ashley deGroot
Most Outstanding Player – Raphael deGroot
