Walters, Burrowes book Pan Am trip

Lewis Walters and Bruce Burrowes have qualified for the senior national squash team, which will represent Jamaica at the 2019 Pan American Games, scheduled for July 26 to August 11 in Lima, Peru.

The players emerged in the top two positions after the trials, which were contested between April 10 and 12 at the Liguanea Club in New Kingston.

Walters finished the three-day skirmish undefeated after beating Tahjia Lumley 11-7, 11-7, 11-9 on day one, then defeating Dane Schwier 12-10, 11-3, 9-12, 11-9 on day two. In a similar vein, Burrowes wore down Schwier 11-4, 11-3, 5-11, 10-12, 11-7 and stopped Lumley 11-7, 12-10, 11-1.

However, when the top two faced off, Walters came out on top, with a 14-12, 11-9, 11-9 win. Conversely, Lumley beat Schwier 11-5, 11-13, 11-6, 11-8 to ensure that he finished the competition with at least one win.

Walters and Burrowes will join Jamaican and Caribbean number one Chris Binnie, who automatically qualified for the team when he won a silver medal at the Pan American Squash Championships last August in Cayman.

Summing up the trials, Karen Anderson, who will serve as coach for the team at the Games, said, “The top players separated themselves from the pack in the trials, and now with Chris, Lewis, and Bruce qualifying, I think we have a strong team that can create some surprises at the Pan Am Games.”

OPTIMAL FORM

The players will now embark on a rigorous training programme to be in optimal form for the games. The competition will be particularly demanding with singles, doubles, and team events contested over seven days.

“The Pan Am Games is one of the most competitive international championships,” Anderson said. “You have powerhouses like Mexico and Colombia and teams from the US and Canada, so it’s an intense level of competition, but if our players put in the work, which they have committed to do between now and the tournament, they can do well on the big stage.”