SVG Squash Players
SVG Squash Calendar
Issue 1 - January 2005
Issue 2 - February 2005
Issue 3 - April 2005
Issue 4 - May 2005
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the Vincentian national team returned home with the perpetual championship trophy,
following dominant 7-3 and 9-1 victories over the British Virgin Islands and St. Lucia.
Prior to the team event, St. Vincent captured 3 of the 5 individual titles up for grabs, with
James Bentick, Colin Alexander and Sherian Slater successfully defending their Men’s
Open, Men’s 40+ and Women’s 40+ titles respectively.
In the Men’s Open, 2-time defending champ Bentick cruised through the draw with
straight-game victories over Ross Munro (BVI) and compatriots Colin Alexander and
Shane Slater to set up a battle with old rival Charlie Sonson (LCA). Once again, Bentick
proved that he is the new “king” of O.E.C.S squash, prevailing 9/6, 9/2, 5/9, 9/2. In the
3rd place play-off, Paul Cyrus recovered from the verge of defeat to overcome new rival
Shane Slater 9/10, 0/9, 9/7, 9/0, 9/2.
In the Women’s Open division, Musonda Poole (BVI) regained the title she won in
2003, refusing to drop a game against her opponents. In the final she defeated Vincentian
Sherian Slater 9/0, 9/1, 9/3, while St. Vincent’s Rachel Haslam defeated teammate Greta
Primus 9/6, 9/4, 9/1 to claim 3rd place.
In the Men’s 40+, Colin Alexander and Leroy Edwards faced off in a rematch of the
National 40+ final two weeks before, where Colin Alexander emerged the winner after a
competitive 5-game battle. This time would be no different, as Alexander toiled for a 3/9,
9/5, 9/7, 5/9, 9/2 victory to clinch the title for the 5th consecutive time.
In the Women’s 40+, Sherian Slater defeated Rachel Haslam 9/0, 9/1, 9/3 for the title,
following semi-final victories against St. Lucia’s Cheryl Renwick and Tortola’s Sue
Sorrentino and 1st round victories against Jackie Albright and Shirley Liburd
respectively. Meanwhile, newcomer Dierdre Myers lost to Sorrentino in the 1st round,
before accounting for Liburd in the consolation. She then lost to Renwick in her final
match.
The Men’s 50+ title went to Steve Steer (BVI), who defeated teammate and defending
champ Jon Osman in the final, while St. Vincent’s Keith Boyea recovered from a 1st
round loss to Winston Findlay (BVI) to finish 3rd following victories over local players
Richard Starkey, Ken Adamson and Paul Webster.
In the team event, the 10-person team of James Bentick, Paul Cyrus, Shane Slater,
Leroy Edwards, Sherian Slater, Greta Primus, Dierdre Myers, Colin Alexander, Rachel
Haslam and Keith Boyea dominated archrivals St. Lucia with a 9-1 victory, as Sonson
turned the tables on Bentick to score St. Lucia’s lone point. The host team British Virgin
Islands proved a tougher challenge, as their strong women’s team (lead by the individual
champion) defeated the Vincentians 2-1, due to wins from Musonda Poole and Lyn
Sorrentino at #1 and 3, while St. Vincent’s Primus easily defeated Sue Sorrentino 9/2,
9/1, 9/0 at #2. In the veteran’s division, the hosts also scored a point in the Men’s 50+
match, with Osman defeating Boyea 9/2, 9/4, 9/3. It proved to be their last point, as
Colin Alexander and Rachel Haslam handled Steve Steer and Shirley Liburd
respectively, while the men’s team of Bentick, Cyrus, Slater and Edwards overwhelmed
their opponents, as they all claimed easy 3-0 victories. Following the tournament, James
Bentick, Paul Cyrus, Shane Slater, Sherian Slater, Rachel Haslam, Greta Primus and
Colin Alexander (who was given the Sportsmanship award) were selected to the O.E.C.
S Squash team for the Southern Caribbean Squash Championships to be held in
Barbados in August.
Wade Johnstone (AUS)
compete at the pro level, as they competed in the distant locations of Connecticut, USA
and Melbourne, Australia.
New Haven, Connecticut was the site of the US National Championships, hosted by
Yale University. With all draws except for the Men's and Women's Open premier titles,
open to all US residents, an unusual situation occurred in the Men's Under 25 division,
with 6 players competing, none of whom were American. One of these international
entrants was Vincentian Shane Slater, a freshman at Franklin and Marshall College.
Passing up the typical spring break experience to play squash, he went down valiantly
against pros Imran Khan (Pakistan), Wade Johnstone (Australia), Scott Fitzgerald
(Wales), Iago Cornes (Spain) and fellow freshman Asad Khan (Pakistan).
Meanwhile, James Bentick and Colin Alexander were doing battle at the Commonwealth
Games in Melbourne. Expectedly, they fell in the first round of the main draw, before
Bentick made a strong run all the way to the final of the consolation plate after losing 2/9,
3/9, 7/9 to Kenya's Hartaj Bains in the plate. Along the way he picked up straight-game
wins against fellow OECS competitor Joe Chapman and Malawi's Chikumbutso before
succumbing to Sri Lanka's Navin Samarasinghe. Alexander however found the goings
tough, losing his plate and consolation plate matches to Joseph Karigithe (Kenya) and
Samarasinghe.
Tournament where competitors from Barbados, St.Lucia, St.Vincent, Trinidad and host Island
Tortola were present at this prestigious tournament, which has been running for the past
twenty years. They were competing in age categories 35-44, 45-54 and 55 and over.
The event kicked off on Friday evening where there were competitors vying for a place to the
second round to meet the main seeds of the tournament. Players such as James Bentick
(VIN) and Charlie Sonson (LCA) nos. 1 and 2 respectively in the OECS were due to meet
in the finals if there were to be no major upsets.
Day 2 in the 35 – 44 age category began with a bang as all of the seeded players were on
court. This year was the first time the age group had been lowered to 35+ so the previous
over 40 champion Collin Alexander (VIN) would have his work cut out to regain his title for
2005. Both Bentick and Sonson registered comfortable win in their first match to move on to
the semi-finals.
In other preliminary matches Collin Alexander one of the favorites for the tournament was up
against Trinidadian Roger Salandy. The match started at a fierce pace with twenty to thirty
shots per rally. After battling for an hour, Salandy was the victor 3-0 over the disappointed
Alexander. Mark Sealey from Barbados was the other seeded quarterfinalist who made short
work of his opponent beating him 3-0 in lightening speed. This left the semi-finals to be played
later that evening.
Sonson took on Mark Sealey winning easily 9-4,9-5,9-3. Sealey commented on his loose
play in the frontcourt, which allowed Sonson to take full advantage in dismantling his game. In
the other semi-final Bentick took on the fiery Trinidadian Roger Salandy who was looking as
sharp as a razor when he defeated Collin Alexander earlier that day.
However, Bentick from the outset looked full of energy taking full control of the match.
Salandy could not keep up with Bentick’s explosive aggressive game and was defeated 9-
2,9-1,9-2.
The final showdown between Sonson and Bentick proved to be yet another epic encounter on
court. Sonson wins serves and the first rally reached 45 shots, the large crowd oooing and
ahing at the amazing retrieving these two top athletes were producing. The first game lasted
twenty minutes and the crowd looked more exhausted than the players as shots after shots
were picked up. After an hour on court, the score is two games all, the rivals having used all
tactics and maneuvers to out play each other.
Bentick came out strong with Sonson looking a little fragile after the grueling four games
previously played. Sonson struggled to pick up the balls as Bentick sends him all over the
court and he pushes on relentlessly as Sonson fades with each gut-wrenching rally. Bentick
inevitably comes through victorious 9-5, 6-9,7-9,9-5,9-6, to become Meridian 2005 senior
champion.Both players will continue their training for the Commonwealth Games scheduled for
Australia in March 2006.
some excellent results at the recently concluded Rotherly Construction Junior Open
(September 30-October 2) in Barbados.
Over 40 Juniors between the ages of nine and eighteen competed in their respective
age categories, of which some were playing at this level for the first time.
The Boys Under 13 title was won by Vincentian Andrez Bascombe who played
outstanding squash throughout the tournament. Sherina Slater dominated the Girls
Under 15 and easily claimed the top spot, with teammate Lisa Deane finishing third.
The top four positions in the Girls Under 17 event all went to Vincentian players,
with the eventual winner, Amber Glasgow claiming a close victory over ever-
improving second placed Aiko Roudette. Third place went to Isis Gonsalves, and
Gabrielle Ambrose finished in fourth position.
In the Boys’ Under 19 event, Bradley Glasgow finished second and Kevin Bailey
third.
Amber Glasgow received an award after being adjudged the most promising female
player of the tournament.
heated up again in Trinidad for the senior event, played from August 6-13. The
tournament attracted players from Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Guyana,
Jamaica, O.E.C.S and hosts Trinidad. The O.E.C.S team comprised of 11 Vincentians,
along with a player each from British Virgin Islands, Dominica and St. Lucia.
The Individual event was played from August 6-9, with James Bentick and Paul Cyrus
seeded in the top 16 in the Men's Open. In the qualifying round, 17-year old Shane
Slater fought back from a 1-game deficit to defeat Julian Henry (TRI) 7/9, 10/8, 9/1,
9/5 to secure his place in the 1st round, while Roy Defreitas lost by default to Guyana's
Ryan Farnum. In the 1st round, the Vincentian trio of Bentick, Cyrus and Slater came
up against Jamaicans Douglas Beckford, Joey Levy and Chris Binnie respectively. Both
Bentick and Cyrus advanced in straight games over their opponents, while Slater lost
3/9, 2/9, 7/9 to the 9th seeded Binnie. In the Round of 16, Cyrus went down
expectedly to the #1 seed Shawn Badrinauth (GUY), while the #6 seeded Bentick
suffered a shock 9/6, 9/0, 1/9, 7/9, 7/9 loss to the 16-year old Binnie. In the 1st round
Plate, Slater was overpowered by Dirk Prudent (TRI) 1/9, 5/9, 0/9 while Defreitas was
also ousted by Kristian Jeffrey (GUY) 2/9, 6/9, 3/9. Meanwhile, Bentick and Cyrus
were pitted against each other in the 2nd round Plate, with Bentick emerging the 9/5,
6/9, 6/9, 9/7, 9/6 victor. In the semi-finals, Bentick succombed to Guyana's Julian Chin
0/9, 2/9, 8/10.
Vincentians Greta Primus, Vonnie Roudette, Amber Glasgow and Aiko Roudette also
competed in the Women's Open, with only Vonnie Roudette advancing past the 1st
round, with a 9/3, 9/6, 5/9, 10/8 win over Amy Gillezeau (TRI). Meanwhile, Aiko
Roudette, Greta Primus and Amber Glasgow lost in straight games to their opponents.
In the 1st round Plate, Glasgow lost 1/9, 0/9, 0/9 to Tessa Martin (TRI) while Primus
defeated Gillezeau 9/3, 1/9, 9/4, 2/9, 9/6 and Aiko Roudette recieved a bye into the
quarter-finals. The Vincentians then met their match against Guyanase Opponents, with
Roudette losing 1/9, 0/9, 0/9 to Tiffany Solomon and Primus being edged out 9/5, 9/10,
1/9, 8/10 by Andrea King. In the 2nd round Plate, Vonnie Roudette also lost in straight
games to Jamaica's Melissa Lue Yen.
The Team event was played from August 10-13 in a 6-team Round Robin format. The
O.E.C.S Men's Team comprised Charlie Sonson (LCA), James Bentick, Karl Nassief
(DMA), Paul Cyrus and Shane Slater playing at nos. 1-5 respectively, with Roy
Defreitas selected as reserve. On Day 1, O.E.C.S lost 0-5 to eventual champions
Jamaica, followed by a 1-4 loss to Barbados, with Nassief securing a 10/8, 9/6, 1/9,
3/9, 9/4 victory over Barbados' Marlon White in the no. 3 match. On Day 2, the Men's
team faced more tough opposition against Guyana, with Cyrus starting off with a 2/9,
9/5, 9/3, 9/5 win against Kristian Jeffrey in the no. 4 match. Unfortunately, Sonson,
Bentick, Nassief and Slater lost close 1-3 matches to their opponents, resulting in a 1-4
defeat. On the final day, the team triumphed 4-1 over the hosts Trinidad and Tobago, as
only the reserve player Roy Defreitas lost his match at the no. 5 position. The Men
finished 4th ahead of Trinidad and the Cayman Islands (who didn't field a Men's team).
On the distaff side, the Women's team of Greta Primus, Vonnie Roudette, Amber
Glasgow, Aiko Roudette and Sue Sorrentino struggled against their opponents, losing
0-5 to Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and Trinidad. In their final match against Cayman
Islands, Amber Glasgow, Aiko Roudette and Sue Sorrentino secured wins at the nos.
3-5 positions to win 3-2 and finish in 5th position. In the Veterans' team event,
Vincentians Sherian Slater (Women's 40+), Colin Alexander (Men's 40+) and Keith
Boyea (Men's 50+) had a good start to the tournament, with Slater and Alexander
defeating their opponents to secure a 2-1 victory against Jamaica. However, Alexander
and Boyea would go on to lose all their following matches, leading to a 6th place finish
for the O.E.C.S. Slater won all her matches however, to clinch the title of Caribbean
Women's Over 40 Champion. In the Overall Team standings, O.E.C.S finished in 5th
place ahead of Cayman Islands. In the final individual rankings, James Bentick and Paul
Cyrus were ranked in the nos. 11-16 group. The next edition of the biannual Caribbean
Squash Championships will be held in Jamaica in 2007.
Photo Gallery
Results
Video Clips
As competition wrapped up at the 2005 Caribbean Junior Squash Championships (July 22-30)
in Trinidad, 3 Vincentian players secured bronze medal finishes in their respective age groups in
the individual event. Andrez Bascombe, Diarra Venner and Amber Glasgow all lived up to their
#3 seeding, placing 3rd in the Under 13, 15 and 17 age groups respectively. In the Boys
Under 13, Bascombe provided a clean sweep of the Jamaican contingent, defeating Dilup
Mahipalamudali and Michael Jones in the 1st and 2nd rounds, before losing to the #2 seed
Kale Wilson (TRI) 0/9, 1/9, 0/9 in the semi-finals. In the 3rd place play-off, he completed his
onslaught of the Jamaicans, with a 9/10, 9/1, 9/3, 9/1 win over Ashante Smith. Also entered in
the Boys Under 13 was Kinnison Cyrus, who went down to Deje Dias (GUY) and Ryan
Bayne (TRI) in straight games. In the Boys Under 15, reigning Under 13 champ Diarra
Venner, made his way into the top 4 with a 9/4, 9/7, 9/1 victory over former rival Raphael
Degroot (GUY). In the semi-finals, Venner fell short against eventual champ Justin Sanguinette
(TRI), losing 1/9, 6/9, 10/9, 5/9 in a thrilling encounter. In the 3rd place play-off, Venner
defeated Guyana's Alex Arjoon 9/6, 9/3, 7/9, 9/3. The Girls Under 17 division featured 2
Vincentians in the top 4, as #3 seed Amber Glasgow made quick work of Leisa Robotham
(JAM) 9/2, 9/3, 9/5 and #4 seed Aiko Roudette defeated O.E.C.S teammate Melissa Rivers
9/5, 9/3, 9/2. In the semis however, the duo was no match for the top 2 seeds Laura Robinson
(BER) and Kristine Bell (JAM), with Roudette and Glasgow losing 0/9, 0/9, 0/9 and 0/9, 1/0,
2/9 to Robinson and Bell respectively. In the battle for 3rd place, Glasgow recovered from
losing the 1st game against Roudette, prevailing 5/9, 9/4, 9/0, 9/4. In the Girls Under 15,
13-year old Sherina Slater was unable to make a successful transition to a new age group,
losing to Cheri-ann Parris (BAR) and Alex Furtado (BER) 1/9, 0/9, 1/9 and 0/9, 2/9, 3/9
respectively. The Boys Under 19 also featured 2 Vincentians - Shane Slater and Bradley
Glasgow, who had mixed fortunes in the senior age group of the tournament. In the first round,
Slater had a disappointing 5/9, 4/9, 9/2, 1/9 loss to Andrew Stout (BER), while Glasgow went
down 1/9, 5/9, 0/9 to Peter Degroot (GUY). In the plate competition, Slater and Glasgow
were then pitted against each other, with Slater emerging the 9/0, 9/1, 9/0 victor. Slater
continued his good form, with another 9/0, 9/1, 9/0 win over Scott Jupp (BAH) to advance to
the plate final against Graham Counsell (BER). The O.E.C.S junior champion dominated the
play of the match, despite a 7/9 loss in the 3rd game, resulting in a 9/5, 9/3, 7/9, 9/2 triumph
for 5th place.
After a day's rest, the team event followed, with Vincentians Shane Slater and Amber Glasgow
selected as captains of the O.E.C.S Boys and Girls teams respectively. In the Group stages,
the Boys team suffered a poor start, as the lineup of Andrez Bascombe (Under 13), Diarra
Venner (Under 15), Joe Chapman (Under 17), Shane Slater (Under 19 #1) and Dominique
Rivers (Under 19 #2) went down 0-5 to Guyana. The second match showed a slight
improvement, as a win by Venner against William Mckensie, resulted in a 1-4 loss to Bermuda.
The final Group match pitted the O.E.C.S against the Cayman Islands, with the O.E.C.S
providing a 5-0 whitewash to finish 3rd in Group B. In the 5th-8th place play-offs, O.E.C.S
then faced 2004 finalists Barbados and recorded another 5-0 victory to advance to the 5th
place showdown against Bahamas. The early lead went to the Bahamas, as Clifford Bodie
defeated Joe Chapman (BVI) in straight games in the Under 17 match, before a walkover was
awarded to Andrez Bascombe at the Under 13 position, to even the score at 1-1. It was then
up to the captain to put the team ahead, with a easy 3-0 victory over Scott Jupp at Under 19
#1. Next up was the Under 15 match, where Diarra Venner found himself on the brink of
defeat at 0-2 down in games. However, Venner refocussed and fought back to clinch the win
for O.E.C.S by taking the next 3 games, as Dominique Rivers (LCA) then lost to Jaime
Johnson in the Under 19 #2 match. On the distaff side, the Girls team of Samantha Bowland
(Under 13), Sherina Slater (Under 15), Amber Glasgow (Under 17), Aiko Roudette (Under
19 #1) and Melissa Rivers (Under 19 #2) had a dismal performance, with only Rivers
managing to secure a win during the O.E.C.S-Trinidad match. This resulted in the Girls team
finishing at the bottom of the standings at 7th place, which affected the team's Overall finish of
6th, ahead of the Cayman Islands and Bahamas (who didn't field a Girls' team). At the
presentation ceremony, Andrez Bascombe was awarded for Best Sportsmanship among the
male competitors.
Photo Gallery
From July 22-30, 8 Vincentian squash players will be competing for top honours at the 2005
Caribbean Junior Squash Championships to be held in Trinidad. The youngsters, who range from
age 12-17, will be aiming for individual glory in their respective age groups (Under 13, 15, 17
and 19) in addition to a strong finish in the team events, as part of the O.E.C.S team. On the
boys team, strong performances are expected from reiging Boys Under 13 champ Diarra Venner
and also the top O.E.C.S junior Shane Slater, who will compete in the Boys Under 15 and 19
divisions respectively. In addition, 12-year old Andrez Bascombe will make his second
appearance in the event, competing in the Boys Under 13, while 17-year old Bradley Glasgow
will join Slater in the Boys Under 19 division and will be the O.E.C.S team's reserve player in the
team event. 12-year old Kinnison Cyrus will also hope to gain experience as he competes in the
Boys Under 13 division. On the distaff side, Amber Glasgow and Aiko Roudette will do battle in
the Girls Under 17 age group, while 13-year old Sherina Slater will hope to improve on her 3rd
place finish in the Under 13 last year, as she moves up into the Under 15 age group. Also
selected to the team are: Joe Chapman (Under 17) of the British Virgin Islands and St. Lucians
Dominique Rivers (Under 19), Melissa Rivers (Under 17) and Samantha Bowland (Under 13).
The final teams for the team competition will comprise of an Under 13, 15, 17, 19 #1 and #2 and
a reserve on both the Boys' and Girls' teams. In 2004, the O.E.C.S Boys team placed 7th, while
the Girls finished in 5th place, for an Overall position of 6th place. The formidable Boys team
hopes to be a medal contender this year, while the Girls team aims to improve on last year's 5th
place finish. Also travelling with the team are St. Lucian Cheryl Renwick (Manager) and
Vincentians Recardo Bascombe and Janice Glasgow as Chaperones. The team is sponsored by:
Harrow Sports, Deloitte, ScruSquash and SquashGear.
MEET THE TEAM!
After three weeks of hectic competition, top junior squash player Shane Slater
returned home with 2 titles after competing in the Barbados, St. Lucia and Liguanea
(Jamaica) Open squash tournaments.
On the first leg of the circuit, Slater emerged as the unexpected winner of the Men's
B division of the Barbados Open (June 19-25). Due to him not competing in
Barbados since September 2004, the youngster was placed in the Men's B division
based on his previous performances there. However, the unseeded 16-year old
showed his tremendous improvement since then, as he charged through the draw,
defeating all the seeds in his path. On his way to the final, he did not drop a single
game, defeating local players Richard Taylor (9/0, 9/0, 9/1) and #5 seed Cliff Nolan
(9/4, 9/1, 9/2) in the Round of 32 and 16 respectively. In the quarterfinals, he
disposed of the #3 seed Tariq Williams of Guyana 9/7, 9/2, 9/5 to set up a meeting
with the #2 seed Peter King (Barbados). Slater would not be deterred however,
dismissing his opponent 9/1, 9/1, 9/3. In the final, Slater faced off against the #1 seed
Jason Small (Barbados). After a very physical battle with his contentious opponent,
Slater was crowned the champion, prevailing 9/1, 9/7, 7/9, 9/4.
Following this, Slater joined compatriot Greta Primus for the St. Lucia Open (June
27-July 2) where he would face much tougher competition in the Men's Open
division. With a sudden increase in the playing standard, he struggled to make the
change against tougher opponents. In his first match, he was pitted against the recent
Barbados Open Men's A Champion - Shawn Badrinauth (Guyana). The Caribbean
no. 4 proved too much, with Slater going down 2/9, 1/9, 2/9 to the #1 seed. Next up
was Canada's #8 seed Steven Peever, who never allowed the Vincentian to get into
his rythmn, winning 9/2, 9/0, 9/1. Following his losses, Slater was relegated to the
plate draw for positions 9-16 and got back on the winner's list, with a 9/3, 9/3, 9/0
win over Daniel Piper (St. Lucia) in the first round. In the semis, he was pitted against
Trinidad's no. 1 junior Josh Pinard who successfully maintained firm control of the
match, winning 9/5, 9/3, 9/1. In the 3rd place play-off, Slater faced off against Joe
Chapman (British Virgin Islands) in a battle of the top 2 juniors in the O.E.C.S.
However, Slater continued to show his dominance of OECS junior squash, with a
quick 9/2, 9/0, 9/0 victory. On the distaff side, Primus found the goings tough, losing
in straight games to Barbados Open Champion Karen Anderson (Jamaica) and St.
Lucians Alana Simmons and Lily Bergasse, while suffering a narrow 0/9, 10/9, 1/9,
5/9 loss to Trinidad's Nakita Poon Kong.
On the final leg of the circuit, Slater headed up north for the Milex Liguanea Open in
Jamaica (July 4-10). After a 2nd place finish in the Men's B division in 2004, he was
once again placed in the Men's B draw, but this time as the #1 seed. Once again,
Slater demonstrated his improvement to A division level, with straight-game wins
over Robert Vaughn and #5 seed Eddy DePass 9/2, 9/1, 9/5 and 9/5, 9/1, 9/4
respectively. In the semifinals, Slater recovered from a short lapse in the 3rd game
against #3 seed Trevor Blair, before triumphing 9/6, 9/3, 1/9, 9/2. In the final, he
defeated unseeded Brendon Millwood 9/7, 9/5, 9/3 to top the field of 28 local
players, adding to his 17th birthday celebrations .
At the close of the 5th Annual O.E.C.S Junior Squash Championships (April
22-24), Team SVG once again dominated the event, winning 5 of the 7 titles up for
grabs. The tournament featured over 30 players from British Virgin Islands,
Dominca, St. Vincent and hosts St. Lucia, competing for top spots in the Under 13,
15, 17 and 19 age groups.
In the Boys Under 13 division, Kinnison Cyrus defeated Daniel Piper (LCA) 9/3,
9/3, 9/4 and Alexander Nassief (DMA) 10/8, 9/4, 6/9, 9/5 to win the title in his
first-ever tournament. In the Girls Under 15 division, Sherina Slater defeated
compatriots Isis Gonsalves (2nd), Gabriella Ambrose (3rd) and Lisa Deane (4th) to
claim the title. In the Boys Under 15 division, Diarra Venner cruised to his
much-anticipated clash with defending champ Joe Chapman (BVI), thrashing Emad
Zarkha (DMA) and Adam Defreitas (LCA) 9/0, 9/0, 9/0 respectively, while
defeating John-Henri Sweeney (LCA) 9/0, 9/1, 9/0. In the final match, a
much-improved Chapman proved to be too much for the 13-year old Vincentian,
with Venner losing 5/9, 0/9, 0/9. In the Girls Under 17 division, Amber Glasgow
continued to show her dominance of OECS junior squash, extending her winning
streak to a 5th consecutive year. In the group stages, Glasgow emerged on top of
Box A, defeating compatriot Isis Gonsalves and Blossom Paul (LCA) 9/0, 9/1, 9/0
and 9/0, 9/0, 9/0 respectively, while Gonsalves also beat Paul 9/0, 9/0, 9/0 for 2nd
position in the group. In Box B, Aiko Roudette also emerged as the winner,
defeating St. Lucians Melissa Rivers and Mikaela Devaux to advance to the
semi-finals. In the semi-finals, Glasgow and Roudette defeated Gonsalves and
Rivers respectively, to set up the final battle for the title. In the final, Glasgow took
revenge for her first loss to her rival earlier this month, powering past Roudette 9/3,
9/0, 9/3 to remain undefeated in the event, since its inception in 2001. Isis
Gonsalves settled for 4th place, losing to Melissa Rivers 1/9, 1/9, 0/9. In the Boys
Under 17 and 19 divisions, Shane Slater continued his good form, soundly beating
his 9 opponents to win both titles. In the Boys Under 17, he defeated compatriot
Alex Alexander 9/0, 9/0, 9/0 and Marlon James (LCA) 9/4, 9/0, 9/0 to advance to
the semi-finals, where he defeated Josh Defreitas (LCA) 9/0, 9/0, 9/0 to face Joe
Chapman (BVI) for the title. The 14-year old Chapman made a valiant comeback in
the 2nd game, but was unable to deter the defending champ, falling 2/9, 7/9, 0/9.
Meanwhile, Alex Alexander defeated Phillip Macleod (DMA) 7/9, 9/4, 2/9, 9/5,
9/3 for 5th place. In the Boys Under 19, Slater was even more dominant, handling
St. Lucians Dominique Rivers and Michael Bergasse 9/2, 9/1, 9/1 and 9/2, 9/0, 9/0
respectively, while also defeating compatriots Bradley Glasgow, Kevin Bailey and
Anson Alvis in straight games. The trio of Glasgow, Bailey and Alvis settled for 4th,
5th and 6th place respectively.
Following the competition, special awards were given to Kinnison Cyrus (Best
Sportsmanship) and Joe Chapman (Most Promising Player). The OECS junior team
is now being selected to compete at the Caribbean Junior Squash Championships in
Trinidad, scheduled for July 22-30.
Photo Gallery
Slater and Aiko Roudette lead a successful 8-player Vincentian contigent, with 2
career-first wins. For the 16-year old Slater, it was his maiden title on the Caribbean
Junior Circuit, as he clinched the Boys Under 17 title to be named Most Oustanding
Boy. Roudette also had her own career-best performance, with an upset win over
compatriot Amber Glasgow (National and OECS Junior Champion) to finish in 2nd
place in the Girls Under 17 division. The Vincentians also had another finalist in Diarra
Venner, who lost to top-seeded rival Justin Sanguinette in the Boys Under 15 final.
Amber Glasgow finished with a bronze medal for 3rd place, ahead of Sherina Slater in
Girls Under 17, while Bradley Glasgow defeated team-mate Andrew Dasilva for 4th
place in the Boys Under 19 division.
RESULTS
Boys Under 19:
Bradley Glasgow lost to Josh Pinard (TRI) 2/9, 0/9, 0/9
Bradley Glasgow lost to Stephen Rodriguez (TRI) 2/9, 0/9, 1/9
Bradley Glasgow lost to Bruce Martin (TRI) 2/9, 9/6, 1/9, 2/9
Bradley Glasgow defeated Andrew Dasilva 9/3, 9/0, 9/1
Andrew Dasilva lost to Josh Pinard (TRI) 0/9, 1/9, 0/9
Andrew Dasilva lost to Stephen Rodriguez (TRI) 0/9, 1/9, 2/9
Andrew Dasilva lost to Bruce Martin (TRI) 0/9, 4/9, 1/9
Boys Under 17:
#1 Shane Slater defeated Zachary Loquan (TRI) 9/0, 9/0, 9/0
#1 Shane Slater defeated Matthew Stollmeyer (TRI) 9/0, 9/0, 9/6
#1 Shane Slater defeated #2 Justin Gomez (TRI) 9/6, 9/7, 9/1
Boys Under 15:
#2 Diarra Venner defeated Stephan Jeffrey (TRI) 9/2, 9/7, 9/0
#2 Diarra Venner defeated Kale Wilson (TRI) 9/2, 9/2, 9/3
#2 Diarra Venner lost to #1 Justin Sanguinette (TRI) 1/9, 3/9, 3/9
Andrez Bascombe lost to Kevin Ross 0/9, 0/9, 0/9
Andrez Bascombe lost to Jean-Paul Bones 0/9, 2/9, 2/9
Girls Under 17:
Aiko Roudette defeated Emily Bones (TRI) 9/10, 6/9, 9/2, 9/2, 9/7
Aiko Roudette defeated Sherina Slater 6/9, 9/2, 10/9, 9/1
Aiko Roudette defeated Amber Glasgow 2/9, 10/8, 1/9, 9/3, 9/4
Aiko Roudette lost to Amy Gillezeau (TRI) 4/9, 3/9, 5/9
Amber Glasgow defeated Emily Bones (TRI) 9/0, 9/0, 9/2
Amber Glasgow defeated Sherina Slater 9/0, 9/1, 9/3
Amber Glasgow lost to Amy Gillezeau (TRI) 9/10, 9/1, 3/9, 4/9
Sherina Slater defeated Emily Bones (TRI) 9/6, 9/7, 9/5
Sherina Slater lost to Amy Gillezeau (TRI) 4/9, 0/9, 1/9
Photo Gallery
3 tournaments in April. An 8-player contingent will travel to Trinidad and
Tobago on April 1-2, to compete in the Vita Malt Junior Open. The team
consists of 5 boys and 3 girls - Andrez Bascombe, Diarra Venner, Shane
Slater, Bradley Glasgow, Andrew Dasilva, Sherina Slater, Amber
Glasgow and Aiko Roudette. Following this, the national squad will head
to St. Lucia, hoping to dominate once more at the O.E.C.S Junior Squash
Championships scheduled for April 22-24. Players will be vying for spots
on the O.E.C.S Junior team to compete at the Caribbean Junior Squash
Championships in Trinidad, running from July 22-30. Shortly after, the
nation's future stars will battle for the title of National Champion, as the
SVG Squash Association hosts the National Junior Championships to be
played from April 25-30 at the National Squash Centre. Shane Slater and
Amber Glasgow will aim to successfully defend the Boys' and Girls'
Under 19 titles respectively.
Latest Circuit Standings
Latest Junior Rankings
historic event on March 19th 2005, as we staged the Official Opening of
our brand new National Squash Centre to celebrate World Squash Day.
We opened up in style with a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem
by junior player Andrew Dasilva, followed by an inspiring speech by the
Association's President Dr. Sherian Slater. Our special guest, the 'Father
of Squash' in St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Dr. Cecil Cyrus, took us
on a 'trip down memory lane' as he recalled how he started playing
squash and how he introduced the sport here in 1966, when he built a
court above his Medical Clinic. A special presentation of a Dunlop
squash racquet was then made to MacGregor Sealy of the National
Lotteries Authority, who were the sponsors of the new squash centre as it
was built alongside their new headquarters. Following this, Dr. Cecil
Cyrus served off the first ball to begin the exhibition matches. In total,
there were 12 exciting matches played by our top local players on the 2
courts at the centre. In addition, there was a lot of food and drinks for the
crowd of spectators present, to keep them very happy. After the
matches, the courts were free for use all night, and the juniors responded
enthusiastically by flocking to the courts. It was a fun-filled day and the
event was well received by the media (all 3 of the newspapers, 1 radio
station and our National Television were present), which would help to
spread and promote the sport even more.
and Sherina Slater emerged as the Most Outstanding Junior Players of the
Year, heading the Boys and Girls lists with 20 and 14.95 points
respectively. The 2003 Ciruit winners Shane Slater and Amber Glasgow
settled for 2nd position this year, with 19.8 and 11.7 points respectively.
Following their achievements, Venner and Slater were nominated as Junior
Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year for the National Sports Awards
2004.
Latest Circuit Standings
Sports Awards Nominees
January 27th, 2005, a new executive was elected to serve for the 2004-2005
term. The executive comprises of the following:
President: Dr. Sherian Slater
Vice-President: Mr. Ricardo Bascombe
Secretary: Mrs. Ann-Marie Venner
Treasurer: Mr. Rudy Daniel
Public Relations Officer: Mr. Shane Slater
Committee Members: Dr. Dave Dasilva, Mrs. Rochelle Ollivierre, Ms. Greta
Primus
weekend on the US College Circuit, when CSA newcomers University of
Toronto faced off against some strong Liberty League squads. In the first
dual, the #20 Varsity Blues faced hosts #15 St. Lawrence University, with
the Saints proving too much for the 2-time defending OUA Champions. At
the no. 8 position, Alvis lost to Berkley Welles 5/9, 1/9, 6/9 as the Saints
trounced the Varsity Blues 7-2. Their next opponent would be Liberty
League Champions William Smith in an improved performance. In a close
match, the #13 Herons edged past the Canadians 6-3 as the Varsity Blues
managed victories at the top (no. 1), middle (no. 4) and bottom (no. 9) of
the lineup. Playing at no. 7, Alvis went down to Emily Gailun 1/9, 4/9, 1/9.
There would be more blues for the Varsity Blues, as they suffered a
heartbreaking 4-5 loss to #19 Hamilton College. The Varsity Blues used
their strength at the top of their roster to sweep positions 1-4, but the
bottom lineup couldn't fight off the determined Continentals.
Full Results
returned from a competitive series of
international tournaments, competing against
some of the world's best players.
In the Canadian Junior Open (Dec 9-12), the
16-year old made his way to the semi-finals of
the Bronze draw after being edged out by Rafik
Bhaloo (USA) and going down to Trinidadian
Josh Pinard in the Gold and Silver Draws
respectively. He then advanced to the Bronze
semi-finals with a walkover against Columbia's
Nicolas Acosta and a 3-1 win over Australian
Brett Pickup. In the semi-final match, Slater
struggled with the cold court conditions, losing in
straight games to the eventual Bronze draw
winner James Stobie (CAN).
The next event was the United States Junior
Open (Dec 17-20) where Slater was one of
106 competitors in the Boys? Under 17
division. In the Round of 64, he battled to a
thrilling 1/9, 9/0, 8/10, 9/2, 10/9 win over
Canada?s Iain Redford, advancing by a mere
point. In the Round of 32, he faced off against
world-ranked American Christopher Callis,
losing 0/9, 2/9, 5/9. Slater?s US Open
campaign then came to an end, as he went
down to former US National Junior Champion
Christopher Ehlinger 1/9, 2/9, 2/9.
With a few days rest, he then headed for the
United Kingdom to compete in the Scottish
(Dec 27-30) and British (Jan 2-6) Junior
Opens. In the Scottish, Slater was dominated in
the first round against the US no. 2 player Travis
Judson, losing 0/9, 0/9, 2/9. He was then
relegated to the B draw, where he lost a 9/7,
8/10, 4/9, 5/9 heartbreaker to Englishman
Lewis Davies-Smith. He was then edged out by
American Christopher Vernick, losing by a
narrow 6/9, 8/10, 7/9 margin. Slater put himself
back on the winners list, as he cruised past
Ireland?s Neil Campbell 10/8, 9/0, 9/6. In his
final match, he was given the hard task of
playing the no. 9 seed Peter Halliday (Scotland),
losing 3/9, 5/9, 4/9 in a commendable
performance.
On the last leg of the tour, Slater competed
alongside the world?s elite junior players at the
prestigious British Junior Open. In his qualifying
match, he was subdued by namesake John
Slater (England), losing 0/9, 4/9, 1/9 to enter the
?Lower Section?. In the first round, Slater
survived another epic battle, fighting his way to a
9/5, 7/9, 2/9, 9/6, 9/4 triumph over local player
Nick Hornby. Slater was once again edged out
at crucial stages in his final match of the tour,
losing 6/9, 7/9, 9/1, 3/9 to another Englishman
Edward Charlton.
Christopher Ehlinger (USA)
emerged as the new champions after dethroning St. Vincent and the Grenadines 6-4 in
the final match-up. Heading into the final match, the defending champions looked
strong favourites on retaining the title, cruising 9-1 past the British Virgin Islands and
Dominica compared to 8-2 victories by their St. Lucian rivals. On the final day
however, hosts St. Lucia had other plans, feeding off the home support to squeeze
past the Vincentian team. The first match of the final pitted the no. 2 Men's players
against each other. In a close match, an injured Paul Cyrus (VIN) played his heart out
against nemesis Jason Noon (LCA) but fell short by a single point in the final game,
going down 9/10, 9/5, 9/7, 4/9, 9/10. On the adjacent court, Vonnie Roudette (VIN)
couldn't maintain control against Cheryl Renwick (LCA), losing 9/3, 4/9, 4/9, 9/10 in
the Women's Over 40 match. Although falling behind 2 matches to none, the
Vincentian team was confident of a win at the Men's no. 4 match to put them back into
contention. A determined Carlos Segovia (LCA) pulled off a crucial upset to the
strategy however, defeating Roy Defreitas (VIN) 9/6, 7/9, 9/5, 9/0. Meanwhile, Lindy
Alexander (LCA) put another point on the scoreboard, defeating Greta Primus (VIN)
9/5, 9/4, 9/4 in the Women's no. 2 match. With St. Lucia leading by 4 matches to 0,
the Vincentian team was doubtful of any chance of retaining the title, knowing the
strength of the St. Lucian Women's squad. Confirming this knowledge, Alana Simmons
and Lily Bergasse used their experience to outplay their Vincentian opponents Sherian
Slater and Amber Glasgow respectively. With the victory already sealed, Vincentians
James Bentick (Men's no.1) and Shane Slater (Men's no.3) entered the courts to
salvage the last bit of pride and prevent a whitewash. In the most anticipated match of
the tournament, James Bentick and Charlie Sonson faced off for the fourth time this
year. The spectators were not disappointed, as Bentick outlasted his archrival 9/5, 7/9,
9/6, 5/9, 9/3 to claim his fourth consecutive victory over the previous OECS "squash
king". As Vincentians Colin Alexander and Keith Boyea recieved walkovers in the two
Men's Veteran matches, 16-year old Shane Slater (VIN) faced off against Oliver
Gobart (LCA) in the climax of the tournament. In a very physical battle, the youngster
prevailed over his opponent 7/9, 9/3, 9/3, 8/10, 9/3 to remain undefeated all weekend.
With the event scheduled for St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 2005, Team SVG
intends to take back the title on their home courts.
Photo Gallery
Results
Round of 16 - #6 James Bentick defeated Pat Chin (JAM) 4/9, 9/0, 9/7, 9/4
Quarter-finals - #6 James Bentick lost to #1 Shawn Badrinauth (GUY) 1/9,
3/9, 4/9
Women's A
1st Round - Sherian Slater lost to #1 Melanie Jans (CAN) 2/9, 2/9, 3/9
PLATE: Semi-finals - Sherian Slater defeated Stephanie McConnell (JAM) 3
- 0
Final - Sherian Slater defeated Melissa Lue Yen (JAM) 3 - 2
Men's B
1st Round - Shane Slater defeated Jonathon Todd (JAM) 9/6, 9/4, 6/9, 9/1
Round of 16 - Shane Slater defeated #5 Brendan Millwood (JAM) 6/9, 9/4,
9/7, 9/5
Quarter-finals - Shane Slater defeated Dave Morrisson (JAM) 9/3, 9/0, 9/2
Semi-finals - Shane Slater defeated #1 Granville Smith (JAM) 2/9, 10/9,
10/9, 10/9
Final - Shane Slater lost to #2 Winston Hepburn (JAM) 7/9, 9/7, 3/9, 5/9
Women's B
1st Round - Amber Glasgow lost to Sue Cornes (USA) 4/9, 9/7, 7/9, 3/9
PLATE: 1st Round - Amber Glasgow lost to Deirdre Chin (JAM) 0 - 3
Women's Over 40
1st Round - #3 Sherian Slater defeated Kay Anderson (JAM) 9/0, 9/0, 9/5
Semi-finals - #3 Sherian Slater lost to #1 Sonia Perkins (BAR) 0/9, 2/9, 0/9
3rd/4th Place Play-off - #3 Sherian Slater defeated #4 Deanne Pryce (JAM)
3 - 0
Boys' Under 19
1st Round - Shane Slater lost to #4 Kyle Gregg (JAM) 1/9, 4/9, 5/9
Girls' Under 19
1st Round - Sherina Slater lost to Lauren McClure (JAM) 1 - 3
Semi-finals - #2 Amber Glasgow defeated Lauren McClure (JAM) 3 - 0
Final - #2 Amber Glasgow lost to #1 Kristine Bell (JAM) 0/9, 1/9, 0/9
players in action faced disappointing losses in their respective divisions. After a
first round win in the Men's B division, Shane Slater could not repeat his
success as he lost to archrival Kyle Gregg (Jamaica) in the Boys' Under 19
division. After a late arrival, Shane was rushed on the court to play his match,
and was soon rushed off the court, as he was thrashed 1/9, 4/9, 5/9 by his
opponent. Fellow junior Amber Glasgow also suffered a dissapointment as she
went down to Susanne Cornes (USA) 3 games to 1. Plagued by breathing
problems, the determined Amber struggled to take control of the game, but to
no avail. Shane continues his quest today (Wednesday) in the Men's B division,
when he faces 5th-seeded Brendon Millwood of Jamaica in the Round of 16.
Amber will also be competing in the Women's B Plate division. Sherian Slater
will also be making her debut in the tournament as she plays her first match in
the Women's Over 40 division.
close on May 30th, history was made as 13-time
consecutive champion Charlie Sonson was crushed by a
fit James Bentick. The two rivals had met many times
before with Sonson edging away each time (Bentick's
only win came in a team tie in 2002), but this time,
James was ready for revenge. After a gruelling first
game, Bentick maintained the pressure to trounce the
perrenial champ 9/7, 9/1, 9/0. St. Vincent claimed
another title, when Colin Alexander cruised past
Dominica's Patrick Martin in the Men's Over 40 final,
winning 9/5, 9/3, 9/7. St. Lucia prevented a clean sweep
of the main titles, as Lindy Alexander overcame Sherian
Slater in the Women's Open final, prevailing 9/5, 2/9,
9/5, 9/2. A team is now being selected to compete in the
Southern Caribbean Squash Championships 2004,
scheduled for August 15-22 in Guyana.
Squash Championships, four Vincentians have
booked spots in their respective divisions. After
receiving byes in the first round, national champs
James Bentick and Sherian Slater advanced to the
semi-finals with straightforward victories over the
British Virgin Islands' Dave Findlayson and Patlian
Johnson respectively. Sherian will now face
compatriot Greta Primus in the Women's Open
semi-finals, after the latter claimed a 9/4, 9/6, 9/4
victory over Caroline Dubois. Top seed and
defending champ Colin Alexander will be hoping
to reverse a shock loss to Dominica's Randolph
Victor in the Men's Open, as the two will square
off in the Men's Over 40 semi-finals.
Men's Open Main Draw
Women's Open Main Draw
Men's Over 40 Main Draw
to a 9/0, 9/0, 9/0 opening win
introduced 2 new junior rankings systems for
2004. The National Junior Rankings lists will rank
all the top players in their respective age groups,
based on all results in the past 12 months. The
Junior Circuit Rankings will rank all the juniors
based on results of the 2004 sanctioned junior
circuit events. The National Junior Rankings will
be determined by the players' averages while the
Circuit standings are determined by the players'
totals.
Shane Slater and Amber have built up an early
lead in both lists, with Shane heading the Boys
Under 17 and 19 Rankings and Amber leading the
way in the Girls Under 15 amd 17 Rankings. The
two players also have the highest totals in the
National Junior Circuit Standings.
Latest Junior Rankings
Latest Circuit Standings
recently concluded Diamond Mineral Water Easter Team Tournament in
Guyana. Her only loss came from an upset win by Ashley Khalil
(Agressors), who won the 5th string category.
Results
Sherina Slater(Destroyers) defeated Alysa Xavier (Ball Beaters) 9/0, 9/3
Sherina Slater (Destroyers) defeated Victoria Arjoon (Fortress) 9/0, 9/6
Sherina Slater (Destroyers) defeated Talia Fiedtkou (Enforcers) 9/2, 9/3
Sherina Slater (Destroyers) defeated Talisa Williams (Captors) 2-0
Sherina Slater (Destroyers) lost to Ashley Khalil (Aggressors) 1-2
debut this month (January), when she finished in 9th position in the
Massachusetts Junior Open 2004 at the prestigous Harvard University.
The tournament which took place from January 9-11 was competed by 145
players from USA, Barbados and St. Vincent. Amber Glasgow, competing
in the Girls Under 15 event, posted a 4-2 record over the weekend and
captured the Consolation Plate for 9th place.
Results
Amber Glasgow (VIN) defeated Alison Friedensohn (USA) 9/3, 9/3, 9/0
Amber Glasgow (VIN) lost to Alexandra Van Arkel (USA) 0/9, 3/9, 2/9
Amber Glasgow (VIN) lost to Taylor Booth (USA) 3/9, 1/9, 0/9
Amber Glasgow (VIN) defeated Monette Johnson (USA) 9/0, 4/9, 9/1, 9/0
Amber Glasgow (VIN) defeated Emily Saltzman (USA) 9/5, 9/3, 9/1
Amber Glasgow (VIN) defeated Cindy George (USA) 9/2, 9/6, 9/5
