Latest update March 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
May 20, 2019 Sports
By Sean Devers
Watched by the largest turn out for the tournament, including two of Guyana’s three-woman team to play in the Pan Am Games in Peru, the six-night Woodpecker Products Junior National Squash Championships climaxed on Saturday night at the Georgetown Club with an exhilarating Boys U-15 Final between Michael Alphonso and Nicholas Verwey.
With a cold wind blowing on the outside and a raucous gathering urging the teenaged pair on the inside, the battle was riveting and punctuated by long rallies as the lads matched each other shot for shot and the eventual score-line (11/6, 11/6, 11/4) was not a true indication of the quality of Squash on show.
Both boys enjoyed outstanding success leading up to Saturday Night’s epic showdown.
The smaller Alphonso quickly found his rhythm and demonstrated dominance in the opening game.
The long rallies were at times over 25 shots and filled with a variety of shots; tight lengths, drops that caressed the wall centimetres above the tin, and low hard cross courts that skidded past their opponents.
Alphonso’s deception sent Verwey in the wrong direction and despite Verwey’s magnificent skills to keep the ball in play; the hectic pace of the contest would eventually take its toll on Verwey as the match progressed.
Alphonso stormed to 11/6 wins in the first two games and as Verwey began to tire and Alphonso took the next game 11/4 to win an entertaining match as the spectators gave both boys a standing ovation.
Abosaide Cadogan took an early win from Kirsten Gomes at 11/5, but Gomes came back with some powerful shots in the second.
Cadogan used her superior fitness to her advantage as she moved quickly around the court to edge past Gomes for an 11/9 second game, before finishing the third 11/3.
Mohryan Baksh played a fantastic match for third place in the higher category, Boys Under-15 and defeated Demetrius DeAbreu for the spot.
In another competitive battle, cousins Beau and Christiana Fernandes fought hard for the Girls under-13 title. It was younger Christiana who displayed her improved game in each stanza despite the power shots from Beau as Christiana conceded only one game to secure a 3/1 triumph.
The talented Shomari Wiltshire, the 2018 Junior Sportsman of the year, was named Most outstanding Boy, while Cadogan took that accolade on the distaff side. Louis DaSilva took the special award of Most Improved Boy and Tiana Gomes Most Improved Girl.
At the presentation ceremony the players and parents were praised for their dedication to Squash all year and in this tournament which was used as preparation for the Junior Caribbean Area Squash Championships which will be hosted by Trinidad & Tobago in July.
The squad which will travel to twin Island Republic will continue training at the Georgetown Club.
Sponsors Woodpecker Products and the Fernandes family were thanked for their longstanding support of the Guyana Squash Association.
Apart from Khallil and Fernandes, who were among the wonderful gathering on Saturday night, Mary Fung-a-Fat along with the two others spent a week in the USA earlier this month training with Australian Squash Coach David Palmer for the Pan Am games in Peru which starts on July 26.
Fung-a-Fat, who secured a UK Visa, will leave Pennsylvania this week for the UK where she will continue her preparation for Lima, Peru on the advice of Coach Palmer.
RESULTS
GIRLS UNDER 11
Christiana Fernandes defeated Maya Dean 11/0, 11/2, 11/2
Tiana Gomes defeated Shryia Persaud 11/6, 7/11, 11/9, 11/5
GIRLS UNDER 13
Christiana Fernandes defeated Beau Fernandes 11/5, 11/8, 4/11, 12/10
GIRLS UNDER 15
Kirsten Gomes defeated Beau Fernandes 11/1, 11/1, 11/1‘1
GIRLS UNDER 17&19
Abosaide Cadogan defeated Teija Edwards11/2, 11/0, 11/0
Abosaide Cadogan defeated Kirsten Gomes 11/5, 11/9, 11/3
BOYS UNDER 11
Grant Fernandes defeated Brenno DaSilva 11/3, 11/4, 11/2
BOYS UNDER 13
Shiloh Asregado defeated Dhiren Persaud 12/10, 11/3, 11/2
Louis DaSilva defeated Joshua Verwey 13/11, 11/2, 11/1
Joshua Verwey defeated Chad DeAbreu 5/11, 11/5, 11/8, 11/9
Mohryan Baksh defeated Louis DaSilva 12/10, 11/3, 11/2
Dhiren Persaud defeated Matthew Spooner 11/8, 11/3, 11/4
BOYS UNDER 15
Michael Alphonso defeated Zachary Persaud 11/7, 11/3, 11/3
Mohryan Baksh defeated Demetrius DeAbreu 11/8, 9/11, 11/9, 11/3
Michael Alphonso defeated Nicholas Verwey 11/6, 11/6, 11/4
BOYS UNDER 17&19
Shomari Wiltshire defeated Nicholas Verwey 11/4, 11/3, 11/3
Shomari Wiltshire was given a walk over by Samuel Ince-Carvalhal
MOST OUTSTANDING BOY Shomari Wiltshire
MOST OUTSTANDING GIRL Abosaide Cadogan
MOST IMPROVED BOY Louis DaSilva
MOST IMPROVED GIRL Tianna Gomes
BOYS UNDER 19&17
WINNER Shomari Wiltshire
SECOND PLACE Michael Alphonso
THIRD PLACE Nicholas Verwey
FOURTH PLACE Samuel Ince-Carvalhal
BOYS UNDER 15
WINNER Michael Alphonso
SECOND PLACE Nicholas Verwey
THIRD PLACE Mohryan Baksh
FOURTH PLACE Demetrius DeAbreu
BOYS UNDER 13
WINNER Mohryan Baksh
SECOND PLACE Louis DaSilva
THIRD PLACE Shiloh Asregado
FOURTH PLACE Joshua Verwey
FIFTH Dhiren Persaud
BOYS UNDER 11
WINNER Grant Fernandes
SECOND PLACE Brenno DaSilva
GIRLS UNDER 19&17
WINNER Abosaide Cadogan
SECOND PLACE Kirsten Gomes
THIRD PLACE Teija Edwards
GIRLS UNDER 15
WINNER Kirsten Gomes
SECOND PLACE Ashani Persaud
THIRD PLACE Beau Fernandes
GIRL UNDER 13
WINNER Beau Fernandes
SECOND PLACE Christiana Fernandes
THIRD PLACE Safirah Sumner
GIRLS UNDER 11
WINNER Christiana Fernandes
SECOND PLACE Tiana Gomes
THIRD PLACE Shriyah Persaud
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