Woodpecker Products, Digicel Junior National Squash Championship…Harding outstanding, Akeila Wiltshire and Joseph graduate on a high

Jun 08, 2015 Sports

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The local racquet wielders produced several stellar encounters on Sunday to conclude the Junior National Squash Championships, sponsored by Woodpecker Products Limited and hosted by the Guyana Squash Association (G.S.A.) in collaboration with its corporate sponsor Digicel. Played at the Georgetown Club, the event marked the final Junior category appearances for champions Akeila Wiltshire and Nyron Joseph, who both achieved 3-0 victories to graduate at the top of their respective classes.

Despite the exodus of the two experienced players, the dominance of several younger players suggests the conveyor belt of player production in the sport is still functioning as well as ever, especially with notable performances from the Most Outstanding Girl award recipient Makeda Harding, who swept the Under 13 and Under 15 categories, while finishing second to Rebecca Low playing with the Under 17 girls. Also impressive were the performances of Alexander Cheeks and Most Outstanding Boy Shomari Wiltshire. With the likes of Most Improved girl Sarah Lewis, Under 17 winner Ben Mekdeci and Most Improved Boy Daniel Islam also playing well, Guyana can be expected to continue its dominance at the regional level for some time to come.
The evidence of more youthful engagement in the sport was apparent as the tournament featured a competitive Under 9’s category, which was won by Beau Fernandes and Mohryan Baksh. This, according to G.S.A. member Raymond Islam, augurs well for the future of the sport. He also noted the rapid improvement of the younger players, exposed to a strong training programme, experienced coaches and regular competition- as a reason to be excited about Guyana’s chances on the global and regional scale in both the near and distant future.
Under 11 winner, and Under 15 runner up Kirsten Gomes battled to victory over Madison Fernandes 3-1 (11/5, 9/11, 11/5, 12/10) , relegating Fernandes to 3rd place in the Under 13 category. Paige Fernandes beat Haley Carpenter 3-0 to finish second and third respectively in the girls Under 11. However it was the dominant Harding’s performances which stood out, with 3-0 wins over Mia Collins and Abosaide Cadogan to secure her two titles. The towering right hander, who recently turned 13, is expected to be a part of a strong Junior Caribbean Amateur Squash Association (C.A.S.A.) team in July. In male results, Ethan Jonas, Michael Alphonso and Demetrius DeAbreu finished first to third respectively. Jonas secured his position with an enterprising 3-1 win over Alphonso in the under 11 category.
With participation at a high among the junior athletes, the boys novices group, added as a result of the near 50-strong competitors list, saw Jason Gomes beating Kamir Khan 3-0 to determine the first and second position, while James Mekdeci beat Mashal Allicock to take third.
Shomari Wiltshire earned the Under 13 boys first place award, but Samuel Ince-Carvahal and Gianni Carpenter together produced the most exciting boy’s game of the day with several long rallies. The game fluctuated back and forth as the two left-handers matched each other stroke for stroke before the second placed Ince-Carvahal rounded out the final game to take the match 3-2. Lucas Jonas finished third in that group.

Alexander Cheeks held off a compelling approach by the younger Shomari Wiltshire to take their match 3-1, and with it the top Under 15 spot, relegating his opponent to second, and the hard working Daniel Islam to third. Islam earlier beat his twin brother Anthony in a highly energetic game 3-0.
Rebecca Low and Sarah Lewis produced one of the feature female games in the Girls Under 17 category, fighting it out shot for shot in a game which Low won 3-2. The Under 17 champion Low took the first game 11/8, but lost the second 9/11, before going ahead 10/3 in the third. What followed was a nine point streak by Lewis, who placed third in the group, which saw her take the game 12/10. Low regained her composure in a highly emotional match to take the last two games 11/6 each.
The girls Under 19 game between Akeila and Larissa Wiltshire, a virtual final with Rebecca Low already assured of third place, saw the experience of the incumbent Akeila making her triumph over the youthful exuberance of her younger sibling. The two showed impressive fitness as each hard earned point was followed by another, with a mixture of thoughtful cross court strokes and deliberate drops employed to take the ball away from each other, matched by intuitive court movement. The final 3-0 score line, though fitting, did little to epitomize the competitive nature of the match, which ended with a 13/11 victory in the last game.
Nyron Joseph, in his last game at this level, held off a determined Ben Mekdeci 3-0 to finish atop the Boys Under 19 group, relegating his opponent to second and Alec Melville to third. In another close match, Joseph scrambled to victory in the first game 15/13, before taking the following games 11/7, 11/6 to finish on a high note. The players can now expect preparation for Regional foes as the top squash athletes look ahead to the Junior CASA tournament in a month’s time, where much is expected of them.
Full results:
Girls:
Makeda Harding beat Abosaide Cadogan 3-0 (11/0, 11/0, 11/1)
Aliyah Persaud beat Teija Edwards 3-0 (11/6, 11/7, 11/2)
Makeda Harding beat Maya Collins 3-0 (11/8, 11/2, 11/6)
Paige Fernandes beat Haley Carpenter 3-0 (11/8, 11/5, 11/3)
Akeila Wiltshire beat Larissa Wiltshire 3-0 (11/9, 11/6, 13/11)
Kirsten Gomes beat Isabella Ramjohn 3-0 (11/3, 11/0, 11/0)
Kirsten Gomes beat Madison Fernandes 3-1 (11/5, 9/11, 11/5, 12/10)
Rebecca Low beat Sarah Lewis 3-2 (11/8, 9/11, 10/12, 11/6, 11/6)
Boys:
Nathan Rahaman beat Shiloh Asregado 3-0 (11/5, 11/2, 11/1)
Gareth DaSilva beat Liam Carpenter 3-1 (10/12, 11/5, 11/6, 11/7)
Alec Melville beat Matthew Phang 3-0 (11/9, 11/8, 11/7)
Samuel Ince-Carvahal beat Gianni Carpenter 3-2 (5/11, 11/1, 11/4, 5/11, 11/5)
James Mekdeci beat Mashal Allicock 3-0 (11/7, 11/5, 11/9)
Demetrius DeAbreu beat Zach Persaud 3-0 (11/7, 11/4, 11/7)
Ethan Jonas beat Michael Alphonso 3-1 (11/9, 11/3, 8/11, 11/4)
Daniel Islam beat Anthony Islam 3-0 (11/7, 11/4, 11/3)
Louis DaSilva beat Noah Rahaman 3-0 (11/4, 11/6, 11/3)
Dominic Collins beat Lucas Jonas 3-2
Jason Gomes beat Kamir Khan 3-0 (12/10, 11/7, 11/6)
Alexander Cheeks beat Shomari Wiltshire 3-1 (11/9, 11/6, 4/11, 12/10)
Nyron Joseph beat Ben Mekdeci 3-0 (15/13, 11/7, 11/6)

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