Guyana to host Caribbean Junior Squash Championship in July

By Akeem Greene

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The Guyana Squash Association (GSA) has gotten the nod of approval from the Caribbean Area Junior Squash Association (CASA) to host this year’s championship in July.

Guyana’s hosting comes as a result of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the original hosts, opting out. News Room Sport had reported in January that the GSA was open to taking up the mantle.

GSA Vice-President David Fernandes told the News Room Sport on Sunday: “Guyana is a bit fortunate in that our vaccination rate is quite high and we have had other international events in Guyana recently, so we offered to host.”

He added, “What is great about it, is that for two years, the Juniors have not been able to play a Caribbean Championship, so we felt it was imperative for us to try and make the event a success for them.”

He further revealed it will be the final year for Caribbean champions, Shomari Wiltshire and Abosaide Cadogan, and hosting will add greater emotions to their swansong as Junior players.

The Championship should be held “no later than mid-July” and is expected to be well represented with 150 competitors from in excess of seven countries.

Fernandes informed that the athletes along with their families would be fully vaccinated and they would be testing in an attempt to have a managed ‘bubble’ at the Georgetown Club Courts and the National Racquet Centre.

He expressed confidence the Private Sector along with the Guyana Olympic Association would continue their support of the Association for the event.

Guyana had hosted Junior CASA in 2017, where they relinquished their 12-year stranglehold on the title, and since then has come up second to Barbados.

In 2019, GSA hosted the Senior Caribbean Championship, but since that year there has been no Caribbean event owing to the pandemic.

This year, the Senior Championship is slated for Jamaica, who at this point, is still interested in hosting the event.