The Guyana Junior Squash Team is set to depart local shores today to compete in the Junior Caribbean Squash Championships in the Cayman Islands from Saturday to July 23rd.
According to a release from the Guyana Squash Association, “The team will be led by Under 19 stars Benjamin Mekdeci and Taylor Fernandes and will be ably supported by some of the country’s top junior squash players”.
“The team will seek to capture the overall team title for the twelfth consecutive year. The team coach is Carl Ince and he will be ably assisted by Akeila Wiltshire. The team is being managed by Garfield Wiltshire with David Fernandes as his deputy” it concluded.
Following are brief profiles of the players and the management team
Boys
BU11
Michael Alphonso
A newcomer to the Caribbean squash scene, Michael is a keen contender in this age category. With his great retrieving ability and movement, he hopes to produce good results at this tournament.
Mohryan Baksh
This is Mohryan’s first Junior CASA. With his great racquet skills, he has a bright future in Caribbean squash and hopes this experience will benefit him in the long run.
James Mekdeci
A newcomer to the Caribbean squash scene, James has worked tremendously hard on his game. His dedication and commitment makes him a good contender in this age category.
Kamir Khan
This is Kamir’s first Junior CASA. He has great racquet skills and always has a smile on court. He hopes to have a beneficial experience as he makes his mark and will be a force to be reckoned with at this tournament.
BU13
Shomari Wiltshire
Shomari won the U13 title at this year’s National Championships. This is his sixth and final year in this age category at Junior CASA. Always with a smile on his face and with his good work ethic and improved racquet skills, he hopes to win the U13 title for the second time.
Samuel Ince-Carvahal
Samuel has improved remarkably in a short space of time. This is his second Junior CASA tournament and with continued hard work will be a force to be reckoned with over the coming years.
Demetrius DeAbreu
Demetrius will be playing for the second time at Junior CASA and the experience he gained last year and his continued improvement will make him have a bright future in Caribbean squash.
BU15
Daniel Islam
Daniel continues to work very hard to improve his skills on court. This is his fifth Junior CASA tournament and with his enthusiasm and zeal, has improved by leaps and bounds. He hopes to give his opponents a run for their money as he aspires to attain his first Caribbean title.
Anthony Islam
Anthony has worked hard to get better at his game and has shown remarkable improvement. This is his fifth international Caribbean tournament and with continued commitment and determination, he has a bright future in Caribbean squash.
BU17
Rithew Saywack
Joining the Guyana team for the first time, he has shown great dedication and commitment. His height and shot retrieving skills makes him a good contender in this category.
Alexander Cheeks
Alex continues to improve his racquet skills and court movement. His athletic ability and passion about the game makes him an avid contender in his category at this year’s Junior CASA.
BU19
Ben Mekdeci
Ben has worked extremely hard on his fitness and game and this was evident after he won the U19 National Championships this year. His passion for the sport and increased fitness levels makes him an serious contender for his third Junior Caribbean title.
Alec Melville
This being Alec’s final year, he hopes to make a mark in the U19 category. He has recently intensified his preparation for this tournament and with patience and great work ethic, he hopes to achieve good results at this year’s tournament.
Girls
GU11
Paige Fernandes
Paige has been playing for a number of years but this is her first Junior CASA tournament. She is quick around the court and plays a good game. She continues to improve and the experience she will gain will serve her well for the future.
GU13
Kirsten Gomes
This is Kirsten’s second Junior CASA tournament. She has great talent and with continued dedication, she has a bright future ahead in Caribbean squash.
Madison Fernandes
This is Madison’s second exposure to Junior Caribbean squash. She has worked very hard on improving her game. She is extremely focused and dedicated and is one to watch as she vies for the U13 title.
Abosaide Cadogan
This is Abosaide’s first Junior CASA tournament. She won the U13 category at this year’s National Championships. She has improved tremendously over the short time she has been playing the game and looks forward to being a contender for the U13 title.
GU15
Makeda Harding
This is Makeda’s fourth Junior Caribbean tournament. She is this year’s U15 & U17 National champion and after placing second in the U15 Division at Junior CASA last year, she will be a force to be reckoned with as she vies for the U15 Junior CASA title.
Maya Collins
Maya has talent and continues to show improvement in her game. She is eagerly looking forward to this year’s Junior Casa tournament after having missed the last two and hopes to be able to achieve good results.
GU17
Rebecca Low
Rebecca continues to improve and although she was unable to train as hard as she would have liked to due to her exams, she still will be a force to be reckoned with at this year’s tournament.
GU19
Taylor Fernandes
Taylor continues to work very hard on her game and this was evident as she was the U19 champion at this year’s Nationals. Her improved racquet skills and retrieving ability makes her a contender for her first title at this her final Junior CASA tournament.
Larissa Wiltshire
This is Larissa’s final Junior CASA tournament. She finished runner–up in the U19 category at Nationals this year and was third in the U19 Division at Junior CASA 2015. There has been continued improvement in all aspects of her game, and she is a great contender for her first title at this year’s tournament.
Carl Ince (Coach)
Carl was once again at the helm of the victorious Guyana team last year and he continues to produce Caribbean champions. Over the years he has produced sixteen different individual champions who have won a combined total of forty five Caribbean Junior titles and under his guidance, his teams have won the overall title fifteen out of the eighteen years he has been National Coach. He was chosen as National Coach of the Year in 2012 by the National Sports Commission for his exploits with the Guyana Junior Team. He hopes that this year the team will continue its successful run.
Akeila Wiltshire (Asst. Coach)
Last year’s Girls U19 champion Akeila along with Coach Ince is working hard to get the Guyana Team ready for these championships and a run at another Caribbean Team title
Garfield Wiltshire (Manager)
This is Garfield’s seventh year as manager of the Guyana Team. He hopes that the team has continued success as they again seek to capture Individual and Team titles.
David Fernandes (Asst. Manager)
The President of the GSA, David has worked on motivating each member of the Team to give full commitment to their training, give of their best at all times, and on preparing the Team for their title defense.
