(exerpts taken from an article by Suzanne A. Foster)
With their men’s, women’s and veterans finishing second, Barbados placed second overall in the 1999 Caribbean Area Squash Rackets Association (CARASRA) tournament held in Guyana in August.
Jamaica successfully retained the CARASRA title at the 1999 CARASRA championships with 21 points, just 0.2 points ahead of Barbados who finished second with 20.8 points. Hosts Guyana were third with 19.6 points, Trinidad and Tobago fourth with 6 points and a depleted Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) team last with 4 points.
The men’s title, as expected, was won by Guyana who boasted of having the top 2 seeds in the competition. Luke Fraser and Garfield Wiltshire shone brilliantly, allowing their team to finish unbeaten, taking the top honors away from Jamaica who had previously dominated the men’s competition but had to settle for fourth place on this occasion, behind Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.
Barbados’ only loss in the men’s division was 3-2 to eventual winners Guyana. Victories were sealed against the OECS (5-0), Jamaica (4-1) and Trinidad and Tobago (4-1).
Andy Gill, playing at No.3 was the most impressive player displaying the ability not only to dismiss his opponents 3-0, but also to fight back when he was down to record important wins for his country.
Sixteen-year-old Gavin Cumberbatch, playing his first CARASRA championships, should also be applauded for winning all of his games and for showing that he has the ability, if he continues to train, to hold his own at this level of competition.
The Jamaican women’s team was decorated with experienced players from the PanAm games and this allowed them to enter the competition confidently without a No.5 string and still pull off the top honours.
Barbados women, like the men, only lost to the eventual winners and this earned them second place, while hosts Guyand had to settle for the final spot.
Kristina Evelyn produced the best showing for Barbados. She did not ease up on her weaker opponents and even when she faced stiffer competition she could still walk away with her head held high for displaying a fighting spirit.
Jennifer Armstrong, who was unbeaten in the championships, is also worthy of mention , although her opponents were not as skilled or experienced enough to match her potential.
Jamaica successfully retained the veteran’s title, while Barbados secured second spot and Guyana third. Rudy Goodridge, who had earlier captured the men’s consolation final, used his experience to continue his dominance in the men’s over-40 competition, which he won for the second successive time. In fact, Rudy remains unbeaten in any local or regional over-40 competition since he began competing in these veteran’s events in 1996!
He was undoubtedly the brightest spark in the Barbados team, particularily when he took revenge on Jamaica’s Patrick Chin, who had earlier defeated him in the men’s open individual competition.
The next CASA championships will be held in the Bahamas in 2001.
