Five gold, one silver medal in squash

Article by Petra Gooding

BARBADOS’ JUNIOR squash players are on a high after they recorded their best ever performance in the individual component of the Caribbean Squash Association Junior Squash Championships.

Playing at the Barbados Squash Club on Monday night, the Bajan contingent walked away with five titles and one silver medal. This surpasses their previous best medal haul of four gold medals last year.

It was an all-Bajan affair in the Under-13 girls’ final and 10-year-old Sumairaa Suleman defeated compatriot Chelsie Samuel 12-10, 12-10, 9-11, 11-6.

Barbados also captured both Under-15 titles up for grabs thanks to Meagan Best and Khamal Cumberbatch. Best went into the tournament as the No. 1 seed and lived up to expectations, thrashing Guyana’s Makeda Harding 11-1, 11-2, 11-10.

This was Cumberbatch’s third title in a row, defeating the OECS’ Kai Bentick 11-9, 11-3, 11-6.

Girls’ captain Amanda Haywood had the local crowd screaming in delight after she defeated arch rival Alyssa Mullings of Jamaica in the Under-17 girls’ match. This was the first time Haywood got the better of the Jamaican and she easily won 11-7, 11-8, 11-4.

There were tears of joy streaming down the face of newly crowned Under-17 boys’ champion Josiah Griffith after he defeated No. 1 seed Benjamin Mekdeci of Guyana in the final. Griffith won 12-10, 11-3, 10-12, 11-2.

Monday was the last day of the individual competition. The team competition is scheduled to run until Friday. (PG)