Wiltshire begins Guyana Squash campaign today

Jul 29, 2022 Sports

By Sean Devers

Guyana opens their campaign in Squash at the 19^th Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England this morning at 8:30 AM (Guy time) when Caribbean Junior Champion Shomari Wiltshire faces Rhys Dowling on the Glass Court of the University of Birmingham Squash Courts.

Members of the Guyana Squash team during yesterday’s opening ceremony.

The 18-year Wiltshire, the National Junior Champion, has also won the Caribbean U13, U15 and U17 titles and says he is not expected to do much.

The youngest child of Roxanne George-Wiltshire and Garfield Wiltshire, Shomari will face 27-year-old Aussie Rhys Dowling who is making his debut at these games.

“They are some top players at this tournament, so I just want to see how I can do against them and give my best. I want to win my first round match and hopefully I can win one of my doubles matches because that would be good for morale,” Wiltshire said.

The talented Shomari, whose dad (Garfield) is a former Southern Caribbean Squash Champion and both of his sisters (Akela & Larissa) have represented Guyana in squash, is playing in the Commonwealth Games for the first time.

The 27-year-old Jason Ray-Khalil makes his Commonwealth Games debut and takes on Paul Kadoma from the USA later today (Guy time) 1:30 PM in the other Men’s match for Guyana.

In the Women’s category, 29-year-old Ashley Khalil will battle Sri Lankan Yeheni Kuruppu today from (Guy time) 8:15 AM.

Ashley made her senior National debut at 14 after being awarded the junior sportsman of the Year in 2007.

This is her second Commonwealth Games after competing as a 17 year-old in her first in India in 2010.

“This is such a high-level Games. My main goal is to obviously better my last time in 2010. I was a junior in 2010 so it has been quite a few years, but for me, it’s just to come out and play some good squash and make Guyana proud,” Khalil said.

Mary Fung-a-Fat draws the bye and will play Kaitlyn Watts of New Zealand tomorrow at (Guy time) 8:30 AM.

The 28-year-old Mary, also a qualified Squash Coach, entered Professional squash in 2016 and this is her first Commonwealth Games.

Mary was able to secure a sport scholarship to play Varsity college squash at Drexel University in Philadelphia in 2013 and graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Health Science she has a Masters of Counseling Psychology for Mental Health.

Jason-Ray Khalil (Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles) and Shomari Wiltshire (Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles) will compete in the Men’s Category, while Ashley Khalil (Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles) and Mary Fung-A-Fat (Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles) will participate in Women’s competitions.

Guyana has won 16 Medals since 1930 when the Games were held in Canada but Squash has never won a medal at the Commonwealth Games.

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