National squash Coach Carl Ince said despite failing to win the overall team championship, he was extremely pleased with Guyana capturing both the male and female team titles at the recent 22nd Senior Caribbean Squash Championships in Barbados.
Speaking in an exclusive interview, Ince said:” I am extremely satisfied, they couldn’t have done any better. To win the men and women titles usually means that you win the tournament but not being represented completely in the Veterans section means you cannot win.”
Ince said that had Guyana been represented in every section of the veterans’ category they would have clinched
the overall team title simply based on participation.
He also lauded the women’s team for retaining the team title in the absence of world ranked Nicolette Fernandes and to a lesser extent Ashley Khalil.
“I think it’s a brilliant time for the women. What we now need is for one and two of the veterans to be available,” he added.
Questioned what the triumphs meant for the sport locally, he said: “It means squash is getting better, especially the women’s team and the juniors who have moved to the seniors. All of the women now in the senior team are the ones that came through the junior programme during that long reign.”
He added: “It’s a young team and the other countries thought this is the weakest team from Guyana in a long time because a lot of the players were going into the next category and meeting up with players who are seasoned. When that happens usually you say next year will be our year.”
Asked how Guyana can continue to maintain their recent dominance in both sections, Ince said:” I think if we continue training as we train and the management remains the same, that’s the key. In a lot of the other countries, they are always some bickering but we don’t have those issues. Everyone is allowed to do their part.”
Quizzed about the areas that the team can improve on to continue their superb showing, Ince said “With regards to training, fitness is the key because the technical and tactical side is not missing. They just have to maintain fitness and focus.”
