At just the age of 13, squash dynamite, Abosaide Cadogan is a girl of many talents who scurries around the squash court to the annoyance of her competitors creating, in the process, quite a reputation for herself.
Cadogan, in 2016, won herself a bronze medal at the junior Caribbean Squash Championships only a year after she started playing the sport. Prior to that, she invested her time in another racket sport, badminton where the little dynamite also enjoyed success.
She secured two gold medals in Puerto Rico (2013) Jamaica (2014), winning the medals in the under – 13 Caribbean badminton events.
During an interview with Stabroek Sports, the second form, St. Stanislaus College student said that she wanted to try a new sport when asked about the reason behind the switch from badminton to squash.
It is clearly no secret which sport she prefers as Cadogan beamed with excitement when she stated that squash has her heart.
“I don’t know, I just love squash. Everyone there is just wonderful and I just love it,” she affirmed.
Cadogan, who is currently regarded as one of the top junior squash players, said that she has her eyes set on achieving major accolades, beginning with the upcoming junior Caribbean Squash Championships.
“I would love to earn a scholarship to go away and play but I’m currently focused on the upcoming Caribbean Championships. I’m feeling quite confident. I’ll bring my A-game but I know it’s going to be challenging this year because I moved up to another category but I know I’ll do my best.”
The national player, who also plays hockey, said that her preparations for the upcoming championships are coming along nicely. She informed Stabroek Sports that there are daily training exercises either at the National Park, the gym or at the Georgetown Club Squash Court where she and others work with their coach, Carl Ince.
The teenager, like many others, spends her time on social media – Snapchat – in particular. In a surprising revelation, she admitted that her favourite vegetable is actually likened to the sport she loves, squash.
Role model and striking a balance
She admires local squash queen, Nicolette Fernandes, describing her as an “iconic figure.”
“Well, I admire Nicolette Fernandes because number one, she is from Guyana and she represents us well. She’s also an iconic figure. She’s down to earth and she lends her support to all the Guyana squash players and I really respect her for that.”
Touching on how she balances the gruelling schedule of squash, school, and hockey, Cadogan said that she manages well since she prioritizes her involvement in each activity. Some of her local accolades in 2017 include the category C winner of the Toucan Distributors junior skill level squash tournament, the Bounty Farm handicap squash tournament, where she came out on top of category A and won silver medals in the girls under – 15 and 17 Woodpecker Products junior national squash championships, where she lost to powerhouse Makeda Harding in both divisions.
