JAMAICAN officials are optimistic about breaking the dominance of perennial overall winners Guyana at the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Junior Championships in Trinidad & Tobago.
“The last few years they (Guyana) have been the dominant force, but I think this year may have a different outcome,” team manager Gill Binnie said during last Thursday’s squad announcement at the Liguanea Club.The delegation left the island on Saturday for the tournament which gets under way today.The one-week-long Championships will feature male and female team categories as well as individual competitions ranging through age groups of Under-13s, Under-15s, Under-17s and Under-19s.The long-legged 14-year-old starlet Alyssa Mullings, an all-conquering giant on the local squash scene at both the youth and senior levels, is favoured to successfully defend her Under-15 Girls’ title.Despite Mullings’ undoubted class, the Guyanese — current holders of the overall title — are the obvious team favourites. Last year, Jamaica hosted the competition and placed fourth overall.But according to Binnie, the competition-ripe Jamaican Boys’ team will be a major force and can win if they play to their “full potential”.“I think our Boys’ team will do very well. Our older boys have come right through the system and now they are ready. They have that experience and all the extra training they’ve done this year,” she said, while adding that the tournament will be a “learning ground” for the girls.Binnie noted the key acquisition of Canadian Rene Denis, who has coached the team since February. She believes the players have improved since his arrival and insisted that high on the Jamaica Squash Association’s (JSA) agenda is to find a way to retain his services.“We brought him in for six months, so that time is up in August and it’s very difficult because as you know, sponsorship is hard to come by. Now we are hoping we can find a sponsor on board to bring him back in September because if we lose him, we will be in problems.“We need to build on what was started and we have lots of young players,” said Binnie, an active component in Jamaica’s squash movement for over 20 years.The 18-year-old male captain Ashante Smith, a University of Technology student, talked up Jamaica’s chances and expressed gratitude to Denis in giving the team “a really good chance of winning this year”.The squad’s female leader Jessica Perkins, also 18, is a student at George Washington University. She said a rigorous routine of “playing games, undergoing tactical and fitness drills” and the ideal dose of experienced and talented young players have formed a formidable unit.The 2013 tournament comprises a total of eight teams and will feature more than 100 players across the region.Fast-food franchise Burger King and sport outfit company 305 Squash are the Jamaican team’s sponsors.Squads: Females — Jessica Perkins, Sarah Conway, Mira Handa, Michaelann Denton, Alyssa Mullings, Ashley Lynch, Mia Lake and Mia Mahfood.Males — Ashante Smith, Adam Ardito, Alex Wright, Jake Mahfood, Joe Rousseau, Jonathan Walker, Julian Morrison and Tahjia Lumley.Jamaica’s junior squash players and officials pose after last Thursday’s squad announcement at the Liguanea Club in New Kingston. (PHOTO: ASTON SPAULDING)View the original article here
Expectations high as Jamaica begin CASA Junior Champs
