Friday, March 29, 2024

Aiming to make home work

Date:

Share post:

?HERE’S TO HOPING for that huge home court advantage.
Regaining the overall team title will be mission No.1 for Barbados’ best players, who are banking on raucous crowd support and favourable Barbados Squash Club courts in Marine Gardens for the Senior Caribbean Squash Championships which start tomorrow.
Both local No.1s Karen Meakins and Shawn Simpson, along with Barbados Squash Association (BSA) president Craig Archer, echoed similar sentiments during yesterday’s official launch at the Barbados Olympic Association headquarters.
“In terms of having home support and knowing the courts because courts play differently all over the world, then us playing at home is definitely huge,” said Simpson, the men’s team captain and reigning national champ. “Our players will be accustomed to hitting on these courts for a number of years so they will feel more comfortable. I definitely think this will add a bit more incentive and a bit more drive for each player.”
It’s the biggest storyline heading into the regional tournament. Last year Barbados were dethroned as overall team champs by hosts and long-time rivals Guyana, who also won the men’s and women’s team titles.
And they’re set to return last year’s men’s individual runner-up Sunil Seth along with fellow pro player Richard Chin in an extremely strong men’s contingent.
“The level of competition in the men’s [section] is going to be very high. There’s no doubt about [that] as the number of guys that have gone professional in the last couple of years makes it so tough,” reasoned Simpson. “But I always go on the court thinking anything can happen and I don’t go on the court thinking I am going to lose to anyone.”
However, Guyana have been dealt a crippling blow with the absence of defending women’s champ and world No. 19 Nicolette Fernandes which leaves Meakins as the clear odds-on favourite to take the individual crown.
“Obviously being the No. 1 seed adds pressure, that’s for sure, as there’s a big target on my back and everyone plays you with no pressure because they know they aren’t expected to win,” said Meakins, who appeared in the last seven finals while winning the 2010 title.
“There are a lot of good youngsters out there who I know have improved considerably since last year so I can’t take anything for granted and I have to play my best every single match while hoping for a little luck along the way. It’s disappointing that Nicolette can’t come and we will miss her, but at the same time it’s a nice opportunity for me to try to win a championship,” she added.
Meakins will be leading a very strong women’s team that includes Nadia McCarthy, Alex Jordan, Amanda Haywood and Muffin Stollmeyer while Simpson will be leaning on the strengths of Cumberbatch brothers Gavin, Rhett and Bryant.
However, the veterans – reigning regional team winners – may be the ones to lead from the front with seasoned players such as Mark Sealy, Andy Gill, Leon Truss, Kristina Evelyn, Lynn DeCambra-McLeod and Ruth Deane-Webster highlighting the squad.
“We do have a very good chance of wrestling back the team title from Guyana as you need to be solid in all three components and we are confident that we will have individual veterans champions coming out of that team,” said Archer.
More than 100 players are expected to contest the 22nd edition of the tournament which features teams from Bermuda, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and the OECS.
 
 

Previous article
Next article

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Related articles

No decision yet on Lester Vaughan School

A firm decision has not yet been made regarding when the Lester Vaughan School will be reopened. Following a...

BDF to conduct simulation exercise on April 2 & 3

The Barbados Defence Force (BDF) will conduct a Mass Casualty Simulation Exercise from Tuesday, April 2, to Wednesday,...

Barbadians reminded to file taxes online as filing season starts

The Barbados Revenue Authority (the BRA) is advising that tax filing season for 2023 begins on April 1 this...

Minister Abrahams’ statement on Ismail Patel’s passing

Below is the full statement by Minister of Home Affairs and Information, Wilfred Abrahams: I was saddened to...