Regional Squash players get Vincy welcome

Minister of National Mobilisation, Youth, Sports etc. Mike Browne has extended an invitation to the Squash players here for the National Lotteries Authority{{more}} Caribbean Area Squash Associations (CASA) Senior Squash Championships to come again.

Browne, in welcoming players and their entourages from Barbados, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and the Tobago, the British Virgin Islands and the players who help make up the OECS team, encouraged them on returning home to place St. Vincent and the Grenadines first on their list of must-visit places.

Browne was at the time addressing the Opening Ceremony and Presentation of Teams of the 18th edition of the tournament at the Bishop’s College Grounds, in Kingstown last Tuesday afternoon.

As another touch of Vincentian hospitality, Browne presented gift bags to members of all 7 competing teams.

The gift bags were compliments Invest SVG, which is a bronze sponsor of the championships.

Browne, who is an ardent supporter of Squash, said that when he addressed the Association on April 10 this year, he made a commitment to help Squash and that commitment has not changed and will remain.

This support has seen the National Lotteries Authority pour in $ 75,000 in sponsorship for the championships.

Browne further pledged his ministry’s continued support to the sport of Squash.

Also speaking at Tuesday’s ceremony were Sherian Slater, President of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines and OECS Squash Association; Co- coordinator of the OECS Sports Desk, Denis James, and Product Development Officer of the National Lotteries Authority, Anthony Dennie, who deputized for the NLA’s General Manger Mc Gregor Sealey who was unavoidably absent.

Last Tuesday also saw one aspect of the championships decided as the Men’s and Women’s Singles titles were assigned winners at the National Squash Centre at Paul’s Avenue.

Guyanese Richard Chin, who was a dominant player at the Junior level in the 1980s, secured the Men’s title, with an 11-5, 11-2, 11-8 victory over Chris Binnie of Jamaica.

In getting to the finals, Chin saw off Shawn Simpson of Barbados 11-2, 11-4, 11-6. Binnie got past Patrick Foster of Bermuda, 8-11, 11-6, 1-11, 11-7, and 11-6.

Meanwhile, Barbados’ Karen Meakins made light work of her Trinidadian counterpart Kerrie Sample, 11-5, 11-2, 11-8, in their title decider.

Meakins had earlier beaten Amy Gellizeau of Trinidad and Tobago, while Sample had the better of Barbadian Cheri-Ann Parris en route to the final.

The next title chasers are those who are competing in the Teams competition, in which Trinidad and Tobago are the defending champions.

The 2010 version concludes tomorrow, Saturday. (RT)