For the Squash community July means two things, CASA Juniors Championships and a few days later WSF World Junior Squash Championship; now without being cynical, isn’t time for the junior Squash players from the Caribbean to take part in international tournaments?
With the success of the 2018 CASA Junior Championships, there were a number of young players who are capable of being part of a possible world junior team – in the form of an alliance to play at the World Junior Squash Championships as West Indies Squash Junior Team.
Photo: Jonathan Walker (Credit: Jamaican Gleaner)
Looking at which Caribbean team would do well in a global Squash competition; it is hard to say – but as an alliance, they would be one hell of a team to watch.
If it is down to finance, then all the Squash associations should look about having a portfolio of sponsors from their respective countries – who are looking to gain some form of world exposure for their brands, so sponsoring a junior Squash team would be a worthwhile marketing investment.
Recreating another historical moment of global sports participation
Approximately 20 years ago, Jamaica became one of the first Caribbean countries to qualify for the FIFA World Cup; as a result, this encouraged young Jamaicans to take up football.
Now, over a decade later Jamaica entered the World Cup of Squash tournaments – the Men’s World Championship in France, despite not progressing their presence sure as hell let the Squash world know they are nations to watch.
Imagine in 2019, the Caribbean’s best junior Squash takes part in World Junior Squash Championships in Malaysia? This would make the tournament a truly global competition.
Boost for local Squash bodies
Looking at the junior Squash programmes in the Caribbean, any of the teams that enter either as a separate entity or as Team West Indies – the impact will cascade throughout a local squash community.
For instance, just last year Chris Binnie, multiple CASA senior Champion, announced he was going to support the Jamaican Junior Squash initiative by mentoring and coaching as a result of his participation in the Men’s World Championship – this means that Jamaica is considering participation in a global squash tournament in the next few years?
Should this happen, the Guyanese Squash Team, whose junior Squash are multiple CASA Junior Champions would benefit too, because of global competition.
That leaves Barbados, another great junior Squash nation – the country has produced such great players, notably the Cumberbatch brothers and more Amanda Haywood, who is now going to university in the US, personally, would be a great ambassador for young ladies Squash in Barbados.
Caribbean Squash is ready to shine globally
To conclude, Caribbean Squash is gradually becoming popular and young people are looking to take up the sport, thus would perfect sense to enter a number of world tournaments.
Come the 2018 Olympic Youth Games, Jonathan Walker (Jamaica) above, will be one of the World Squash ambassadors at the event, taking part in the showcase event – hence, could his appearance be the catalyst to Jamaica or Team West Indies taking part in World Junior Squash Championships in 2019 or 2020?
Either way, seeing young Squash players featuring in a televised Squash tournament will inspire young people who have Caribbean roots to take up the sport and even push for more Squash provision to be made available in particular communities in which access is an issue.
Let’s forget whenever the West Indies Cricket team played in the UK, many young people from either Jamaican or Guyanese parentage would want to go play cricket with their friends and imagine they can aspire to be one of the greats.
Hence Caribbean Squash could do the same for Generation Z.
Even though there might be upheaval, this would be the greatest opportunity for the young to showcase their Squash talent at a major grassroots tournament before reaching the senior ranks.
