Barbados’ women’s squash team has qualified for the 2027 Pan American Games after finishing fifth at the 27th Pan-American Senior Squash Championships in Asuncion, Paraguay.
Fresh from a gold medal-winning performance at the CAC Games in the Dominican Republic earlier this month, the women capped their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Ecuador on Saturday, securing a top-11 finish and satisfying the qualifying criteria for the Games.
In the opening match, CAC Games women’s singles silver medallist Meagan Best battled past Maria Buenano 11-4, 11-5, 9-11, 11-1. With the victory, Best also finished the team event unbeaten.
CAC Games women’s singles gold medallist Margot Prow then dropped the opening game against Ecuador’s number one, Maria Moya, before storming back to claim the next three in succession for a 5-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-8 victory.
With Barbados holding an unassailable lead in the tie, the scheduled third-string match featuring Eboni Atherley was not played.
At the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, Barbados won two bronze medals, both from the women’s squad.
The men also ended the championships on a high, defeating Guyana 2-1 to win the plate final and finish 13th overall.
Barbados number two Darien Benn began the clash with a convincing 3-0 victory over Alex Arjoon. Benn was in complete control, winning 11-7, 11-4, 11-3.
In the second encounter, however, Barbados’ top player and reigning three-time Caribbean champion Khamal Cumberbatch was upset by Guyana’s Daniel Ince 11-7, 7-11, 2-11, 7-11, leaving the tie evenly poised at one match apiece.
In the decider, veteran Barbadian Shawn Simpson used his experience to wear down his much younger Guyanese opponent, Nicholas Verwey, 5-11, 11-7, 12-10, 8-11, 11-3.
Simpson began his senior squash team career in 2001, before his 20-year-old opponent was born.
Team manager Don Benn expressed delight with the results and praised the efforts of all eight athletes and the impact of team coach Wael El Batran. He also noted that both Barbados teams finished with winning records in the team event.
(KH/PR)
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