Jamaica have captured three medals so far in the National Lotteries Authority Junior Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Championship, which began on the weekend.

The girls are responsible for all three medals that the team has won so far. Sanjana Nallapati got silver after losing to Eboni Atherley of Barbados (11-7, 11-4, 11-4) in the Under-17 division. Another Under-17 player Mehar Trehan bagged bronze, after defeating Safirah Summer of Guyana (11-6, 11-7, 11-5). The other medal, a bronze, came by way of an all-Jamaica match-up with Savannah Thomson getting the better of Catherine Risden in a very competitive five-setter in the Under-19 division. The scores were 14-12, 7-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8.

Karen Anderson, president of the Jamaica Squash Association, had a lot to say about the team’s performance so far at the championship.

“We are really excited and happy at the performance of the players at the National Lotteries Authority Junior CASA Championship being held in St Vincent and the Grenadines. I think that the girls have really shone brightly by leading the charge. Sanjana Nallapati in the Under-17 girls who upheld the number two ranking followed by Savannah Thomson and Catherine Risden in the Under-19 girls, as well as Mehar Trehan in the girls’ Under-17, who also upheld her number three/four seed. We are really happy with how the girls stepped to the fore and are leading the charge for the Jamaican team,” she said.

Regarding the boys, she said: “The highest boy that we had placed was Tobias Levy in fifth position and Lucas Thomson in seventh/eighth and Alex Chin and Arjan Trehan also in the seventh/eighth position. It’s a team that really worked hard this year and I think that they realise and see where that hard work gets them. We made a concerted effort to get them much fitter this year from earlier and so we had a strength and conditioning coach working with them and they are seeing the benefits of it.

“Its now to build on this performance going into next year as some of the girls will still be around. Sanjana will move up to Under-19, Mehar will stay in Under-17 and will strengthen her game. Catherine Risden and Savannah will also be there next year, so we are really looking forward to what these girls can do next year and maybe improve their places as they go up to next year.