Absenteeism affects Woodpecker Products National Squash C/ships

May 20, 2009 Sports

The respective boys and girls squash teams following victory at the last regional championships.

The Woodpecker Products sponsored National Junior Squash Championships served off last evening at the Georgetown Club courts.

Several of Guyana’s top junior players are on show, as they aim to impress the national selectors ahead of team selection for the Caribbean championships. However, this year’s tournament has been severely hit by the amount of top players unable to participate because of CXC exams. Former Caribbean champions Alex Arjoon and Ashley Khalil, along with national players Deje Dias, Alysa Xavier and Ashley DeGroot will all have to sit out this year’s tournament to concentrate on their exams.

The tournament still features most of the country’s outstanding players such as last year’s top two Caribbean Under-17 players, the unstoppable Jeffrey twins, Keisha and Kayla. Last year’s Caribbean champions in the Under-13 and Under-15 categories, Victoria Arjoon and Mary Fung-A-Fat, along with top team players Oliver Downes, Raphael DeGroot, Jason Ray Khalil and Nyron Joseph.are all expected to light up the courts. There are also a number of new faces vying for places on the team.

In the girls Under-13 category the Wiltshire sisters Akeila and Larissa will face strong opposition from Rebecca Xavier and Gabrielle Fraser. In the boy’s Under-15 category, Steven Xavier and Ryan DaSilva will be looking to impress. Last year’s Under-11 champion Ben Mekdeci will face strong opposition from the likes of Patrick Fraser, Alexander Cheeks and Alec Melville, while on the girl’s side Taylor Fernandes and Lydia Alphonso are both looking for their first national title.

The tournament starts each evening from 6:00pm at the Georgetown Club courts and will conclude on Sunday.

The national selectors will be having keen look at the players, as they contemplate on the make up of the national side to represent Guyana at the Caribbean championships in July in Barbados.

Last year the team continued their dominance of the regional tournament, winning three individual titles as well as all of the team titlesl.

Caption – The respective boys and girls squash teams following victory at the last regional championships.