Gill Binnie (left) team manager and Caribbean Junior Squash Championships tournament director displays the title sponsorship cheque from Majorie Walker, marketing manager, GlaxcoSmithKline at the launch of the Championships at the Liguanea Club yesterday. (Photo: Michael Gordon)

Jamaica will field 14 of the 122 players from eight countries down to compete at the 24th Lucozade Caribbean Junior Squash Championships slated for the Liguanea Club between July 26 and August 2.

The Jamaica Squash Association (JSA) has stepped in to host the event at the 11th hour after The Bahamas, the original hosts, indicated that they were unable to do so.
With tournament preparations moving into high gear, a number of corporate entities have contributed to support the JSA with the staging of the event.

Yesterday, pharmaceutial giants GlaxoSmithKline, under the brand Lucozade Sport, handed over $200,000 at the official launch of the tournament which was held at the Liguanea Club.

Wisynco, distributors of Coca Cola, contributed $100,000, while NCB KeyCard and Pan Caribbean Financial Services gave $50,000 each. The West Indies Alliance Insurance Company, Jamaica National Building Society and COK Co-operative Credit Union gave $25,000, $10,000 and $5,000, respectively.

Other sponsors include Cooyah, La Pluma Negra, Citigraphics, Liguanea Club, Sun Island, Fi-Mi Wireless and Digicel.

Major John Nelson, president of the JSA, expressed gratitude to the sponsors, who responded to the call for support on very short notice.

"A tournament like this one is expensive to host, especially when you're doing it on such short notice, but we felt that it was important for our junior players to get the kind of exposure that a regional championship provides and we will also get a chance to see how they stack up against their peers from across the Caribbean," he said.

Major Nelson also indicated that he expects the local athletes to benefit greatly from having the home court advantage.

"Usually when our players travel abroad for competition, they have to go through a period of adjustment to conditions. This time they will be in a comfortable setting, competing in front of their home crowd and playing on the courts they practise on every day."

Among the Jamaican players expected to make a good show is 18-year-old Chris Binnie, the Caribbean's reigning Under-17 champion, who will now be competing in the Under-19 category. In his age group, Binnie is expected to face stiff competition from Kristian Jeffrey of Guyana, Josh Pinard of Trinidad and Tobago and Andrew Stout of Bermuda.

On the girls' side, Jamaican Kristine Bell, currently ranked number two in the Under-17 age group, is looking to improve her ranking, but she will most likely have to fend off Cheri-Ann Parris of Barbados, who is expected to be at the top of her game.

"We anticipate some intense competition in this tournament," said Karen Anderson, the junior team's coach. "It is quite amazing to see how serious our junior team is about being the best in this sport. We are looking forward to a week of particularly exciting matches."

Jamaica have won the overall championships only once, but have done well individually. In fact, Jamaica were the boys' champions two years ago.

The eight competing countries this year are The Bahamas, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Guyana, The Cayman Islands, Bermuda and Jamaica.

Jamaica's squad: (Girls) - Laurian LueYen (captain), Jessica Perkins, Brooke Burrowes, Lauren Mahfood, Kristine Bell, Loya Lambie, Tracy Binnie. Boys - Ashante Smith, Josh Mahfood, Jordan Schwier, Dilup Mahipalamudali, Bruce Burrowes, Dane Schwier, Chris Binnie.

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