The 34th edition of the annual Barbados Olympic Association sponsored, National Squash Championships, resumes this afternoon (Tuesday) May 13th at the Barbados Squash Club (BSC), Marine Gardens.
The seeded players in this Open Championship which follows on from the veterans events played last week are as follows:
Ladies:
[1] Karen Meakins; [2] Cheri-Ann Parris; [3/4] Lilianna White & Nadia McCarthy.
Men:
[1] Shawn Simpson; [2] Gavin Cumberbatch; [3/4] Bryant Cumberbatch & Mark Sealy; [5/8] Fabian Goodridge; Marlon White; Nigel Griffith & Rhett Cumberbatch
Meakins will be trying to extend her seven year unbeaten run in the Ladies Championships and her main rival will be Cheri-Ann Parris, who despite being only half Meakins’ age will still provide a serious challenge to the local squash queen. In last year’s Caribbean Squash Championships held in Jamaica, Meakins finished second and the reigning Caribbean GU-19 champion, Parris, finished third.
On the men’s side the top two local players – Shawn Simpson (#1) and the reigning Caribbean men’s champion, Gavin Cumberbatch (#2) – are seeded to meet in the final. Simpson will be attempting to do what no local player has done before and reach his sixth straight men’s final. He has won the last four finals and has defeated Cumberbatch in the last two. Eight time former champion, Mark Sealy is seeded at #3/4, and will be trying to break up this little clique. Gavin’s brother Bryant is the other #3/4 seed and will be looking to carry on his excellent form from last August when he played unbeaten in the #3 slot on the Barbados team at the interrupted Caribbean Squash Championships in Jamaica.
A facsinating week of squash is expected. All matches will be played at the BSC beginnning at 5:00 p.m. apart from today (Tuesday) when matches will commence at 4:15 p.m. Sixteen matches are carded for this evening as the first two rounds of the Men’s Preliminary competition will be played to select the eight players who will face the top eight men’s seeds on May 14th. The Ladies competition begins on that day also, with the top four seeds beginning on Thursday, May 15th.
The full draw may be downloaded by clicking the link below.
B’dos National Championships 2008 (Open draw) – file no. 1
