Ja girls reap success at the 2024 Junior Caribbean Squash Champs

Jamaica’s junior girls had great success at the recent 30th edition of the Junior Caribbean Squash Championship held in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

The team won six medals: two gold, three silver and one bronze. Mehar Trehan was the sole gold medallist in the individual competition as she successfully defended her title in the under-17 girls category defeating her compatriot Elle Wilson 3-0. Trehan was strong from the outset and dominated her category and defeated all her opponents 3-0.

The doubles partnership of Sanjana Nallapati (captain) and Katherine Risden also captured gold after defeating Barbadian number one seeds Eboni Atherley and Joanna Atkins 9-11, 11-6, 11-9.

In the under-19 girls, Katherine Risden, the number one seed ,and Nallapati, the number three seed, were denied gold by eventual champion Eboni Atherley of Barbados. Atherley dispatched Nallapati in the semifinals and Risden in the final both with 3-0 victories. Risden and Nallapati captured silver and bronze respectively.

In her first junior tourney, Varenya Singh reached the semifinals of the under-11 competition. Singh played with composure and grit for someone so young to secure fourth place in the individual competition.

The Jamaican girls earned silver in the team competition losing out to Barbados after the matches were locked at 3-3. Jamaica started strong in the final with Risden overturning her individual loss to Atherley by winning 3-0.

Captain Nallapati and under-17 girls champion Trehan secured 3-0 victories. However, Barbados won the final under-13 match to tie the games and force a count back. Marley Price fought valiantly but lost to the number two seed.

Throughout the team event, various team members played key roles to ensure Jamaica reached the final. In particular Marley Price secured one game in the semifinal match which ensured Jamaica reached the final on countback after a tie.

Coach Tahjia Lumley stated, “the team is one of the best in terms of their fighting spirit and camaraderie. From the youngest to the oldest we are not far off. Gold in doubles and the girls going all the way in the team event. The boys team was extremely young with many playing up in age-group. This has been an amazing experience for them and they are looking forward to continue to improve for next year’s event.”

Jamaica finished fourth in the overall standings with the girls in second place and boys team finishing in eighth

The team was managed by Nathlee Boreland.