The Guyana Squash Association (GSA) will be embarking on a programme to increase the number of squash courts across the country and popularize the sport locally.
David Fernandes, GSA president said the association is working closely with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, to increase the number of the courts at the National Racquet Centre (NRC) on Woolford Avenue and plans are in the pipeline to resuscitate some clubs in the rural areas.
The GSA is one of 12 sports associations identified by the ministry as part of a National Sports Academy that will receive significant support from the National Sports Commission (NSC).
“Three new courts will be built in the last quarter of this year at the NRC and that will bring us in line to host international tournaments to the highest level including Pan Am Junior, Pan AM seniors, Commonwealth Juniors and Seniors but we will also be making efforts to have clubs that are dormant to be resuscitated,” Fernandes, who was recently elected to serve a two-year term said.
According to Fernandes there were active clubs in Linden, Berbice, Hampton Court in Essequibo and Enmore on the East Coast of Demerara years ago and the GSA would be approaching those clubs to have their facilities resuscitated.
“The GSA has supported the resuscitation of Everest Cricket Club and Guyana Defence Force courts and we plan to work closely with the new owners of the Hampton Court facility as well as the Surapana Farm in Linden and the one at Enmore. We have a director on the board responsible for club squash and we want to revive the inter-club relationship where members from the different clubs play together socially and competitively,” he added.
Fernandes said that while there are hundreds of squash players locally, the increased number of facilities will help the sport to grow.
He said there will always be a restriction in the growth of the sport because of the limited available space on the courts which limits mass participation, but the GSA will push to increase its membership to achieve its mandate.
He praised the Georgetown Club for its support to the GSA over the years and said that despite being a members’ club it has facilitated non-members to play there.
Fernandes said the GSA will also be looking to maintain it excellent showing at both the junior and senior levels internationally.
The juniors will be heading to defend their title at the Caribbean Junior championships (CASA) in St. Vincent from July 15-23 and the Junior Pan American championships from August 13-19 in Argentina. The Pan American juniors will also be held from September 10-16 in Ecuador.
The senior players will be looking for glory at the Pan American 2023 championships from June 4-10 in Columbia, the senior CARASRA championships from August 19-27 in the Cayman Islands and the South American championships from August 28- September 3 in neighbouring Brazil.
