Senior Multimedia Reporter
walter.alibey@guardian.co.tt
T&T junior squash players walked away with four medals, two silver and a bronze, from the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Junior Tournament at the South Sound Squash Club in the Cayman Islands.
The country’s top-ranked under-19 player, Seth Thong, just missed out on the gold medal by being beaten in the final by Guyana’s Louis Da Silva in five sets, 9-11, 11-6, 11-13, 13-11 and 9-11.
Thong took down Colin Ramasra, the country’s multiple-title winner for the men’s crown at the National Squash Championships last year at the Indoor Racquet Centre of the Queen’s Park Oval, St Clair. Earlier this week, he gave hopes of a CASA crown when he took just three sets to dispose of Daniel Henderson in one of two semifinal contests, 11-7, 11-5 and 11-7 for his entry into the final.
In the other, Da Silva dropped the first set but then feasted comfortably on his counterpart Dominic Wilson in the other sets for his place in the final 7-11, 11-8, 11-8 and 11-1.
Gia Ghuran secured the country’s second silver medal in the girls’ under-13 division. Like Thong, she surrendered in the final up against Delilah Grace Pease of Tortola 11-5, 11-0 and 11-4. But she had the stage for a final that was expected to be closer in battle on the court.
Earlier, Ghuran, who was denied a third consecutive crown in the girls’ under-11 crown last year at the CASA in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) after titles in 2023 and 2022, made sure of a place in the title match by beating Morgan Daniel in the semis 11-6, 11-8 and 11-9. But her contest in the final was never made easy, as Pease made light work of Ghuran’s compatriot Aaniyah Ramdeen, beating her in straight sets 11-0, 11-5 and 11-2.
Ramdeen, who made a strong start to the tournament, deservedly received the bronze medal when she turned back Daniel in a play-off for third and fourth place 9-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7 and 14-12.
Meanwhile, Thong’s sister Josie Thong recovered from heartbreak in the semifinals of the girls’ under-17 division on Monday to beat Somers Stevenson for the bronze medal.
Later, the D’ D’Juran siblings Jess and Ross battled for the Bracket Two titles. Jess got the better of Beryl Archer 11-0, 11-7 and 11-4 in the girls’ under-11 division, and Ross turned back Maximillian Woolf 11-7, 11-2 and 11-0 for the under-15 boys’ crown.
Meanwhile, Lara Allum claimed the Bracket Three title by beating Talia Evans in the girls’ u-11 final 11-7, 11-4 and 11-4.
