Squash moves, please take note

With baby steps and continued accomplishments, the young Squash players of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), are carving out their names on the regional landscape.

Leading the way is Jayden George, who a week and a half ago, scalped his fourth straight Junior Caribbean Area Squash Association(CASA) title.

George started in 2019 with the Boys Under-11 title and grabbed the Under-13 accolade in 2022, as there were no championships in 2020 and 2021, because of the coronavirus pandemic.

To show his prowess, George took the Under-15 crown in 2023, and repeated his feat recently at the Tortola Sports Club in the British Virgin Islands.

In so doing, he has equalled the record of four straight Junior male CASA titles, joining Guyanese Richard Chin, who took the Under-14 Boys title in 1981, 1982 and 1983, as well as the Under-16 in 1984.

Also, with four straight titles are Barbadians Bryant Cumberbatch and Khamal Cumberbatch.

Bryant won the Under- 13 in 2000 and 2001; and the Under-15 in 2002 and 2003, with Khamal taking the Under-13 in 2013 and 2014; and the Under-15 titles in 2015 and 2016.

Surely, George has set the marker down regionally, and could be on course to lift the bar even higher.

His feats have already made him the most decorated Vincentian Squash player at the Junior CASA level.

George, by virtue of his 2023 title, surpassed Paul Cyrus, who won the then Under-16 titles in 1982 and 1983.

Other Vincentians to have champed Junior CASA titles, include Enrique Riveroll, who won the Boys Under-12 in 1986; Diarra Venner- the 2004 Boys Under-13 winner; Kevin Hannaway, the Boys Under-15 champion in 2008; and with Jason Doyle who copped the Boys Under-13 title in 2010.

And, in 2022, Jaydon Williams took the Boys Under-15 as he began what has since been a hat-trick for St Vincent and the Grenadines at that age group.

Down the order, Williams was runner up in the 2024 outing, when he had to settle for silver in the Boys Under-17, but, along with Jayden George, retained their third spot in the Boys Under-17 doubles.

It was equally significant that Caeli George took the bronze in the Girls Under-13. Her achievement speaks volumes for our females who often find the going tough whenever they venture out at the wider Caribbean level.

Likewise, one has to take a look at Savante Padmore, who took the Boys Under-11 Consolation. All in all, squash in SVG is on an upward trajectory, and the other teams are taking good note of the Vincentians returns and potentialities.

Our present situation somewhat mirrors the early 1980s when, under the late Dr Cecil Cyrus, the sport took root especially among a small segment of the youths.

It is now for us to see the possibilities that the young players can achieve within the next few years, and maximise their chances in ensuing Junior CASA Championships.

The foundation has been laid by the sheer tenacity of the executives of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Squash Association, the committed coaches, the very supportive parents, and most of all the players.

Left to provide that support are members of the wider corporate sector.

Those are on the periphery, there is room inside like Tus- T Water, who has been a big brother to the promising Junior Squash players. Likewise, the National Lotteries Authority and the Bank of SVG that contributed to the team’s last sojourn to Tortola.

These go along with the mandated input of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Olympic Committee (SVGOC).

Yes, you in your own way have, and will continue to assist Squash and other sporting disciplines.

But, Squash needs your help in realizing a more modern facility that is capable of hosting regional championships.

We saw the impact with the hosting the Junior CASA Championships here in 2023. The number of hotel rooms, the engagements of the taxis, places of entertainment and others areas of hospitality were all patronized by the visitors.

Notwithstanding, those who came initially for the Squash also fell in love with the country and therefore chose to extend their stay.

This type of exposure of St Vincent and the Grenadines is worth its weight in gold and has a multiplier effect on several sectors of the economy.

Need anyone say more about the power of sport and its impact on the socio- economic landscape of St Vincent and the Grenadines?