Squash siblings win junior Caribbean titles

KINGSTON: Squash siblings, Lukas and Savannah Thomson both won individual age group titles on their debut outings at the 2018 JN General Insurance Caribbean Area Squash Association's (CASA) Junior Championships now under way at the Liguanea Club in New Kingston yesterday.

Playing against the second seed, Jaydon Williams of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Lukas Thomson charged ahead early, winning the first two games only to have Williams claw his way back into contention and pull even. With the title to play for, the young Jamaican got a second wind in the final game and pulled away to win the Under-11 crown 11-7, 11-4, 5-11, 6-11, 11-3.

Older sibling, All Jamaica Under-13 Champion, Savannah Thomson, dealt decisively with Sigourney Williams of Trinidad and Tobago. Going into the final with the lower seeding, Thomson took control of the match from the first game and kept up the pressure to post an 11-4, 11-7, 12-10 win and claim her first regional title.

Junior National team coach Bruce Burrowes said: "I couldn't be more proud of both Lukas and Savannah, because although they were playing in their first Caribbean Championship, they dealt so well with the pressure of being on the big stage and managed to play their best squash in the finals."

Today the focus of the tournament turns to the team competition which will run until Saturday July 14. Players from seven countries will compete for the boys and girls' team titles. While Jamaica will be trying to make their mark, regional powerhouse Guyana will be aiming to retake the title after being defeated last year by Barbados who will be going all out to hold Guyana off.

"We are going into the team competition with our confidence boosted because we have three finalists with two new Caribbean Champions so far and the possibility of a third so we intend to go all out and do our best," Burrowes said.