Guyana’s youngest representative at the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Junior Caribbean Squash Championships Shomari Wiltshire suffered an agonising first round defeat during session one of day one at the Liguanea Club, Kingston Jamaica.
The eight-year-old local squash maestro was defeated by the hometown kid Joshua Newman (Jam) in four games 11/8, 11/6, 4/11, 11/5. Wiltshire, who is the U13 representative for the national junior team will take on Nicholas Caddie in his next match in the plate round (consolation category) as he prepares for the team tournament which begins on Monday.
Wiltshire was one of the three U13 Guyanese players who suffered defeats in the first round of the competition. The Islam twins, Anthony and Daniel were also relegated to the plate round after losing their debut matches at Junior CASA.
Anthony Islam fought but was overpowered by Trinidad and Tobago’s Sebastian Krogh in three games 11/3, 11/7, 11/5 while Daniel Islam was taken out by seasoned campaigner from the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Kai Bentick.
National under 13 champion Rebecca Low managed to stay alive in the U13 category after defeating Jamaica Sarah Conway 11/7, 9/11, 11/8, 11/3.
The Marian Academy student moves a step closer to capturing the Girls U13 category and will challenge Jamaica’s Mia Lake in her second round encounter.
Lake was responsible for defeating Low’s compatriot Sarah Lewis in the first round. Lewis did manage to push Lake to the limit before she lost the gruelling five-game encounter.
Team captain Jason Ray Khalil secured a clinical straight-games win in his debut in the U19 category. Khalil, who won the U17 title last year and is rated ¾ in this year’s event, disposed of Jamaica’s Daniel Schwapp 11/6, 11/3, 11/2.
Multi-discipline athlete Steven Xavier overcame Bermuda’s Beau Orchard in five game 12 /10, 9 /11, 10 /12, 11 /9, 11/5.
In the Under 15 category, national Under 15 champion Benjamin Mekdeci and runner up Patrick Fraser eased to victories in their first round encounters. Mekdeci dominated Cameron Anderson (Jam) 11/9, 11/5, 11/6, while Fraser crushed Benjamin Griffith of Barbados 11/9, 11/ 5, 11/ 6. Alec Melville was not that fortunate, however,succumbing to number two seed Jason Doyle 11 /5, 11 /2, 11/ 4.
