Guyana Squash Association (GSA) President David Fernandes said the biggest accomplishment realized by the sport in 2014 was being the only discipline to medal at the Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) in Vera Cruz, Mexico.
In an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sports, Fernandez said: “The high point of the year was being the only the sport to win medals at the CAC Games. We won two bronze medals in the women’s events. It was a big contingent and of all the sports that attended, squash was the only sport to medal.
“Unfortunately Nicolette [Fernandes] didn’t get to go but I thought she would have won the gold medal. She is currently ranked 21st in the world and Sunil Seth is ranked 122nd,” he said.
Asked about his overall thoughts on the year 2014, he said: “It was a really busy and exciting year. Locally we had all the tournaments that were scheduled played and run successfully. Then we had several representatives going internationally.
“We went to the Junior CASA in Bermuda and we were unfortunate not to win any individual titles but we once again won the boys and girls’ team titles and the overall team titles for the 10th year in a row, which is unbelievable in the sport,” he added.
“In the Senior CASA in Barbados, it was the same. We didn’t win any individual titles but we won both the men and women’s’ team titles which is fantastic. We missed out on the overall team title because we didn’t have a full complement in the veteran’s team.
“In terms of the wider sense, we went to the Pan American qualifiers in Mexico and we finished ninth in the men’s qualifiers which qualified us for Pan American Games in Canada in 2015. On the women’s side we were just out of a qualification spot and are currently a reserve team. However, Nicolette [Fernandes] should be able to get in as an individual and we will have a men’s team.
“We also had a team that went to the junior Canadian and US open and a team that went to the Commonwealth Games in Scotland, so we did a lot,” he added.
Questioned about the areas that can be improved on and how the GSA intends to do that, he said: “Anywhere you have a sport that needs a court it is difficult for it grow rapidly. Hockey and football can play anywhere, but squash you have to be in a room.
“The real way to get the sport to be played by more people is to have more courts and the courts are not cheap to build. We will continue to work with the public courts that was given to us by the government. Other clubs will have to invest in courts and we will help them where necessary.
“I think our kids need to work on their fitness. Fitness is important in the sport, technically and tactically they are ok but fitness needs to be a more important component which they need to work on as the tournaments approach,” he added.
Asked about the expectations for the 2015 season locally and internationally, he said: “We have the Junior CASA in Barbados and the Senior CASA in the Cayman Islands. Then we have the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada and we hope to send a junior women’s team to Egypt for the World Junior Championships.”
Fernandes also said that the local season will commence with the Bounty Farm Mashramani handicap tourney while training sessions will begin next Saturday at the Georgetown Club.
