Barbados’ five time National Squash Champion, Shawn Simpson, duly claimed his first overseas squash title when he emphatically defeated the losing 2006 finalist, Colin Ramasra [T&T] in straight games 9-7, 9-1, 9-3 in the Men’s final of the 20th biennial Cellink Southern Caribbean Squash Championships being played on the hot, non-airconditioned courts at the Georgetown Club in Georgetown, Guyana. The tall, left handed Simpson attacked the stylish Ramasra right from the start and used deft forehand drop shots in the front left court to telling effect throughout the match to become only the third Barbadian (after Rudy Goodridge and Gavin Cumberbatch) to claim the Southern Caribbean Men’s title. One of the fittest players in this tournament, Simpson would have been helped by all the extra fitness work done while training to represent Barbados this year in the Caribbean Volleyball Championships. A bronze medal winner for Barbados in squash in the 2006 CAC Games in Cartegena, Colombia (in Men’s doubles along with Gavin Cumberbatch) Simpson was delighted with the win and said this morning (Thursday) that it hadn’t really sunk in as yet.
The defending Ladies champion Nicolette Fernandes [Guy] dropped the first game of the Ladies final but thereafter was too strong for top Barbadian player, Karen Meakins, who was seeded here at #2. Fernandes, a former world #27 player won by three games to one 7-9 9-7 9-4 9-3.
Barbadian, Bryant Cumberbatch’s, excellent run continued yesterday (Wednesday) as he claimed the men’s bronze medal match against the seasoned James Bentick [St. Vin] in four hard fought games 9-6, 10-9, 8-9, 9-3 while in an all Barbadian affair #3 Cheri-Ann Parris defeated #4 Lilianna White in the ladies third place encounter also in straight games.
The round robin team competition began yesterday (Thursday). Barbados, the OECS, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela and hosts, Guyana will contest the men’s team championship, while only Barbados and Guyana have fielded ladies teams. The veterans team event will be contested by Barbados, the OECS, T&T and Guyana between Thursday and Saturday. The defending men’s team champions, Barbados, defeated Venezuela by three matches to two, but the Barbados Veterans team lost 1-4 to the OECS with only Nigel Griffith winning for Barbados in the M+50 position.
The Barbados team will return home at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday morning August 24th.
