Jamaica have experienced mixed fortunes in the highly competitive team competition at the 2018 JN General Insurance Caribbean Area Squash Association’s (CASA) Junior Championships now underway at the Liguanea Club in Kingston.

The boys team faced Trinidad in their first outing on Wednesday and things got off to a good start when Adam Ardito beat Kobie Khan 11-4, 11-9, 11-5.

However, then All Jamaica Under-13 champion Aman Dhiman lost to Seth Thong 7-11, 3-11, 3-11 and Nicholas Caddle received a walkover ahead of his match with Jonathan Walker. Then All Jamaica Under-17 champion Kyle Haddad lost 9-11, 1-11, 7-11 to Joshua Poon which sealed the deal for Trinidad, although Jamaica’s Under-13 champion Tobias Levy beat Scott-Michael Shaw 11-3, 11-9, 11-3.

The Jamaican boys rebounded to take on the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) on Wednesday night. Events went in their favour as Jonathan Walker got the job done, beating Mikhail Quashie 11-1, 11-3, 11-1, although Dhiman lost to Jaydon Williams and Haddad was beaten 1-11, 3-11, 2-11 by Kai Bentick. OECS defaulted on two games which gave Jamaica a 3-2 win.

The girls team had an uphill task against the higher ranked Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday. Newly crowned Caribbean Under-13 champion Savannah Thomson did her part, beating Sigourney Williams 11-5, 11-6, 16-14 and All Jamaica Under-17 champion Mia Mahfood came through and beat Aimee De Verteuil 11-7, 11-1, 11-7.

However, Mira Handa lost 3-11, 6-11, 9-11 to Marie-Claire Barcant; Mia Todd went down 7-11, 4-11, 11-9, 4-11 to Chloe Walcott and Mia Lake suffered a 3-11, 5-11, 1-11 defeat at the hands of Alexandria Yearwood.

The girls team also found the going rough against regional powerhouse Guyana yesterday. Mia Lake kept her head to battle past Rebecca Low 11-9, 11-9, 12-14, 4-11, 14-12 and Savannah Thomson came back from a first-game loss to beat Georgiana Fernandes 5-11, 11-7, 11-6, 12-10.

However, in spite of their consistent effort, Mia Mahfood lost 8-11, 9-11, 1-11 to Kirsten Gomes; Mia Todd was defeated 8-11, 5-11, 1-11 by Abosaide Cadogan and Mira Handa was beaten 11-5, 11-6, 11-8 by Sarah Lewis.

Similarly, the boys tried hard but Guyana got the better of them. Jonathan Walker delivered an 11-6, 11-7, 3-11, 11-5 win over Alexander Cheeks but his teammates ran into trouble. Kyle Haddad lost 6-11, 12-10, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5; Tobias Levy suffered a 1-11, 1-11, 1-11 defeat at the hands of wonder boy, Shomari Wiltshire; Adam Ardito was beaten 5-11, 5-11, 6-11 by Rithew Saywack and Aman Dhiman lost 4-11, 4-11, 1-11 to Michael Alphonso.