Thrilling end to BCQS 2023 Guyana Squash Masters

Feb 06, 2023 Sports

Arjoon, Ten Pow, Ben, Sealy and Findlay cop championships

Kaieteur News – Guyana Squash Association (GSA) on Saturday evening brought an end to a thrilling BCQS Guyana 2023 Squash Masters tournament at the Georgetown Club Court (GTC), Camp Street, Georgetown. It was indeed a top notch showing of local and international squash players here in Guyana. The event, which concluded after four days of competition, saw Alex Arjoon, Kathy Ten Pow, Mark Sealy, Don Ben and Winston Findlay reign supreme on the final night of the action.

BCQS Guyana Masters players and officials assembled after the presentation ceremony at GTC.

Alex Arjoon copped the Men’s Over 30 championship beating the left-handed Barbadian Shawn Simpson in the Final. Kathy Ten Pow came back; after not being involved in any competitive action in almost ten years; coming back and delivered a remarkable win in the Women’s Over 35 final against the sensational Lydia Fraser.

Mark Sealy came out and put on a show (as usual) for those in attendance. Sealy went up against John Holley out of Trinidad and to no surprise; he took the first game lead 1-0 in a competitive battle ending 11-9. Sealy later increased his lead 2-0 at the end of the second game. Sealy then completed a comfortable win in the third game defeating the evanescent Holley to claim the Men’s 55-64 title.

Khalil Ali on the other hand lost to Don Ben from Barbados in the Men’s 45-54 finals. Don came with great intent as the soaring Ali fell to a 3-0 defeat.

For the much anticipated match between Daniel Ince and Nicolette Fernandes, though it was a third place playoff. Both players came out and played as if it was a final to the BCQS Masters.

Alex Arjoon (right) returns a beautiful shot to Shawn Simpson (left) in the third game of the Men’s 30-44 final.

Daniel Ince, however, did well to compete with Fernandes strategic shot selection. More so Ince took the first game 11-6 but Fernandes came back in the second and third game winning 12-10 and 11-6 respectively. In the fourth game the young Ince leveled the score 2-2; coming back from a 6-2 deficit to win the fourth game 6-11. Fernandes went on to win the fifth game to seal a 3-2 victory. Nevertheless Daniel Ince provided great entertainment for those at the venue after five games of really close encounters.

On the other side of the table, one would say: ‘It is never good idea to take your opponents likely.’ Maybe this is what Dennis ‘Running Ants’ Dias had to reckon with.

Needless to say, in the Men’s 65 Open category: Dennis Dias lost to Winston Findlay of the British Virgin Island (BVI) 9-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-7 and 11-4 to hand him (Findlay) the Men’s 65 Open BCQS Masters title.

The final match of the evening between Alex Arjoon and Shawn Simpson was for the Men’s 30-44 championship. Both players were well poised leading up to the final. They had met twice before at the Senior Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) championship in Jamaica last year; where Arjoon bested Simpson on both occasions.

Trindadians Mark Sealy (left) and John Holley (right) congratulate each other after the Men’s 55-64 final.

Arjoon sought to capture his third win over the towering Bajan at this year’s Squash Masters. He started on a winning note; he claimed the first game 11-5. The second game ended 11-9 with a stroke being given in favour of Arjoon. Arjoon now with a 2-0 deadlock continued his form; closing off a scintillating performance with 3-0 victory over Barbadian Shawn Simpson to grab the Men’s 30-44 title.

Meanwhile, Peter Pirtheesingh picked up a well-deserved second place honour in the Men’s 45-54 category. While Joseph ‘Jo Jo’ Mekdeci copped third place in the Men’s 55-64. The World Squash Masters gold medalist Nicolette Fernandes bagged the third place accolade after competing in the Men’s 30-44 category.

Tournament sponsor Sanjay Amin: Director of BCQS Masters (Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad) praised GSA Chairman of the Competitions Committee Deje Dias for putting together a wonderful BCQS 2023 Squash Masters (Guyana) tournament. He commended Dias and his team for the efforts made to make this tournament a success. The next stop is Barbados for BCQS Squash Masters in May, 2023.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News