The Guyana Squash Association (GSA) is scheduled to host its National Junior Tournament from May 10-15 at the Georgetown Club.
The tournament will precede Guyana’s participation in the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Junior Championships, according to GSA Tournament Director Deje Dias. Speaking with Stabroek Sport, Dias disclosed that the upcoming domestic tournament will play a major determining factor in deciding on the members of the team to represent Guyana at the championships which will be held in Guyana from July 8-14.
The association has already named a 34-member squad of players who are being prepared in case they make the final team.
However, Dias noted, a win at the domestic tournament will not necessarily mean an outright spot on the team.
“This tournament will be a crucial factor in choosing the national team national team (that will represent Guyana at the CASA). It will not be the only determining factor to make it on the team, winning doesn’t guarantee you on the team but yes it will be one of the major factors,” Dias related. He also said that the tournament is expected to see a lineup of the country’s best junior players, adding that the members of the squad have been training quite vigorously for the past few weeks in anticipation of being on the team for the championships.
Dias said that given Guyana’s winning streak at the championships, a lot will be expected from this year’s team and optimism is high that they will deliver.
“We’re (the Guyana team) on a six-year overall winning streak and right now we’re hoping to make it seven years,” Dias said.
The last time Guyana held the championships was in 2003, when this country accomplished its second clean sweep in the history of the championships.
Speaking of the preparations for the championships, Dias confirmed that part of the tourney will be held at the newly-finished squash courts at the Ministry of Sports Squash, Racquet Centre on Woolford Avenue.
Dias related that he was very pleased with the state of the facility, particularly the walls, noting that only a few minor adjustments would have to made in terms of seating arrangements for viewers.
However, he declared that the ministry had confirmed that everything will be in place in time for the championships.
Countries expected to take part in the championships include Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, the Bahamas, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Dominica and Tortola.
Meanwhile, great competition is expected next week as the players give a preview of what is to come when the championships roll around.
Expected to lead on the girls side will be the defending under-19 champion Ashley Khalil while Jean Claude Jeffrey, also a defending champion, will lead the boys under-15 category.
In his category, Jeffrey is expected to come up against sturdy competition from Jason-Ray Khalil, while Ashley will have to ward off competition from the Jeffrey sisters Keisha and Kayla Jeffrey.
In relation to the Jeffrey sisters, who are named as part of the squad but are attending school in the U.S., Dias said that the sisters will not be taking part in the entire tournament but will contest against the winner of the category.
Ashley, Keisha and Kayla, along with Mary Fung-a-Fat and Victoria Arjune, are a part of the female team that is hopeful of attending the Women’s World Junior Squash Championships that will now be played at Harvard University in Boston, USA after having originally been scheduled to take place in Cairo, Egypt. These championships are scheduled from July 20– 30.
