The talent and skills of young squash ace Seth Thong, and maybe more, will be needed when the country's Boys' team tackle regional rival Jamaica for the fifth position of the Caribbean Area Squash Association's Team Competition at the Racquet Centre of the Queen's Park Oval on Saturday.
National coach Ryan Jagessar said his team has not played against the Jamaicans in the tournament to date and could be treading in unchartered waters. He described the Jamaicans as a very tough team. But he said however, he is confident in the abilities of his players and believes they will walk away with the fifth-place prize.
Yesterday, the T&T Boys team defeated British Virgin Islands (BVI) 5-0. Kobie Khan and Michael Chin Lee got walk-over victories, as the BVI team was reduced by two players. And in the absence of Thong, Nicholas Lequay led the way with a 5-11 3-11 5-11 triumph over Daniel Henderson.
Later Joshua Poon clobbered Luca Reich in the second set 8-11 8-11 11-8 7-11 before Scott Shaw sealed the win with a 1-11 2-11 2-11 victory over Oliver Henderson.
The T&T girls' team will also tangle for the fifth place when they come up against StLucia in an equally challenging contest.
The T&T girls were beaten by their counterparts a few days ago and will have to make amends, come Saturday. Jagessar said his only consolation is that he knows what the St Lucians are made up of now, and will prepare his team to suit.
Yesterday the TT girls were also victorious on the penultimate day of the tournament, defeating the Cayman Islands 4-1 in convincing fashion.
Like the boys' team, the Cayman's team was reduced to three members as two players failed to show on the day. However, T&T's trio of Chloe Walcott, Aimee De Verteuil and Sigourney Williams was in menacing form. Walcott defeated Skye Buckley 11-2 11-3 11-2: De Verteuil prevailed over Pitcairn 4-11 3-11 3-11 and Williams sealed the overall win, courtesy an 11-0 11-0 11-1 triumph at the expense of Alyssa Gordon.