Latest update January 30th, 2025 6:10 AM
Latest News
‘Big Ben’ prevents a Wiltshire sweep
Kool-Aid Junior Easter Squash tournament final day
A breakout performance from Benjamin Mekdeci proved to be enough to defeat Caribbean under 15 girls’ champion Akeila Wiltshire and triumph in category B of the Kool-Aid Junior Easter Tournament and earn the Most Outstanding Player award at the Georgetown Club’s Squash facility.
‘Big Ben’, who is the reigning Caribbean under 13 champion, took apart Wiltshire in straight games (3-0) with an ensemble of controlled power shots. Wiltshire had been undefeated before that match and was on her way to joining her younger sister Larissa and brother Shomari as category winners in this skill level tournament sponsored by Toucan Industries.
The respective category top performers take time out for a photo following the tournament.
Big Ben’s power and shot selection were smothering from the onset, pouncing on every shot that was loosely played. Ben’s superior ball retrieval skill was another huge asset during the match as he anticipated Wiltshire’s next shot and got on his way to retrieving it faster than usual. Patrick Fraser finished third in that category after benefiting from a walkover since Pablio Mundini failed to show on the final day.
Larissa Wiltshire defeated Taylor Fernandes in straight games to eclipse Andrew Peroune in a tie-breaker by games to win category C. Peroune and Wiltshire had won the same amount of matches, but Wiltshire gained the edge in the tie-breaker since she won her matches more convincingly.
Her eight-year-old brother Shomari also wrapped up a commanding win against Travis Whitehead to win category D with a perfect 3-0 record. While the other seven, eight and nine-year-olds were battling it out in category F, Shomari was overthrowing older opponents with ease and was acknowledged as the most improved player of the tournament for his impressive performances.
Lydia Alphonso also managed to finish the tournament undefeated in category E by defeating Alexandra Phang 3-0 on the final day of the tournament. Justin Gomes finished second in that category, while Rebecca Low, who was adjudged most improved female player, placed third. Meanwhile, the final day of competition saw another dramatic twist of events in the category F standings. John Phang defeated Anthony Islam and secured first place, but there was a three-way tie for second place between Lucas Jonas, Sarah Lewis and Daniel Islam. After winning five consecutive matches to shoot into first place on Saturday, Lucas Jonas bounced back down to fourth after losing to Daniel Islam. An intense battle between Lewis and Maya Collins had to be discontinued prematurely due to Collins’ injury. After benefiting from that win Lewis, placed third when tournament organizers settled the tie based on win/loss statistics on games in each match.
The eagerly anticipated match between Caribbean under 15 champion Nyron Joseph and Caribbean under 17 champion Jason Ray Khalil never materialized. Joseph reportedly injured his hand during the tournament and although he was willing to play, merely gripping the racquet would have put him in pain.
Level Four Elite Coach Carl Ince said he was impressed with the level of talent displayed by the juniors in the tournament this year. He also stated that the improvement in the overall skills of the junior is a very promising and encouraging sign prior to the commencement of training for national selection.
Assistant marketing manager of Toucan Industries Andrea King congratulated all the participants of the tournament and described their performance as a “job well done” during the closing ceremony. King also pledged the continued support of Toucan Industries for upcoming tournaments. The Kool-Aid Junior was sponsored by Toucan Industries and organized by the Guyana Squash Association (GSA) in collaboration with its number one corporate sponsor Digicel Guyana.
Tournament results
Category A
Winner: Jason Ray Khalil
First runner up: Nyron Joseph
Second runner up: Steven Xavier
Category B
Winner: Benjamin Mekdeci
First runner up: Akeila Wiltshire
Second runner up: Patrick Fraser
Category C
Winner: Larissa Wiltshire
First runner up: Andrew Peroune
Second runner up: Alec Melville
Category D
Winner: Shomari Wiltshire
First runner up: Matthew Phang
Second runner up: Mahendra Khusial
Category E
Winner: Lydia Alphonso
First runner up: Justin Gomes
Second runner up: Rebecca Low
Category F
Winner: John Phang
First runner up: Daniel Islam
Second runner up: Sarah Lewis
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The third parties will not survive this year’s elections
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- The fate of third parties in this year’s general and regional elections is as predictable... more
OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Weekend Cartoon
