Junior CASA: Verwey, Arjoon and DaSilva deliver gold for Guyana

Nicholas Verwey, Avery Arjoon, and Louis DaSilva won gold for Guyana at the ongoing Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Junior Championships in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Verwey followed up his Under-17 gold in 2022 with gold at the Under-19 level, while Arjoon did the same, adding to her Under-13 gold last year with gold in the Under-15.

DaSilva won his first Caribbean gold when he defeated fellow Guyanese Mohryan Baksh in the Under-17 final.

Meanwhile, the second year in the running was another silver for Kirsten Gomes, while Kaylee Lowe got silver in the girls’ U-13.

Ethan Bulkan (under-11), Justin TenPow (Under-13), and Michael Alphonso Jr. (Under-19) won bronze.

Verwey defeated Barbadian Alex Stewart 12-10, 11-1 and 11-6, while Gomes fell again to Barbadian Sumairaa Suleman.

The Barbadian defeated Gomes last year in Guyana, and this year, she pipped her Guyanese counterpart again, winning 6-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-6.

In the all-Guyana final for the Boys U-17, DaSilva best Baksh in a highly competitive encounter, winning 17-15, 9-11, 11-4, 11-7.

Barbadian Lenna Hamati retained her Under-13 title when she defeated Guyanese Kaylee Lowe  11-7, 11-7, 10-12, 11-2.

Bermuda’s McKenna Kyme won the bronze with an 11-8, 11-5, 12-10 win over Guyana’s Tiana Gomes, who fought hard and won the second and third sets 11-2, 11-5.

Alphonso, who lost his semi-final contest to Stewart, bounced back to defeat British Virgin Islands Jace Jervis in the third-place match.

Alphonso won the five-set encounter 12-10, 11-7, 11-7 after losing the first two sets 13-15, 8-11.

Meanwhile, Arjoon took only 16 minutes to crown herself queen in the Under-15 category, with straight sets, 11-7, 11-5, 11-6 win over Bermuda’s Somers Stevenson.

Josie Thong of Trinidad and Tobago took bronze with an 11-6, 11-3, 11-2 triumph over Guyana’s Emily Fung A Fat.

TenPow registered 11-5, 11-6, 11-8 against Levi Jack in the third-place encounter.

Bulkan defeated the host’s Savante’ Padmore 11-1, 11-0, 11-5 for his bronze medal.

For the first time, Doubles commenced Tuesday and concludes Wednesday, after which attention turns to the team segment, where Guyana is the defending overall champion.