Upbeat Jamaica Squash group for PanAm Qualifiers
4 of Jamaica’s high male squash gamers have been scheduled to go away the island on Friday afternoon for the PanAm Qualifiers in Cartagena, Colombia.
Reigning nationwide champion Julian Morrison, winner of the current nationwide senior trials Tahjia Lumley, Bruce Burrowes and Dane Schwier will probably be searching for to qualify to play within the upcoming PanAm Video games. They’ll return to the island on June 12.
Karen Anderson, president of the Jamaica Squash Affiliation, expects a troublesome qualifier however is hopeful that the group will do properly. “It’s going be a really robust competitors. There are 14 groups vying for six spots so it’s all of Pan America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean and so the primary opponents clearly are the strongest contenders from Mexico, USA, Canada, Colombia (and) Argentina.”
“Colombia, nonetheless, has already certified together with Chile. Chile is the house group for PanAm and Colombia received via the South American Video games, so that they certified via that. It’s going to be extraordinarily laborious as we’re going up in opposition to the powerhouses within the PanAm area, however we really feel that we have now an opportunity and the fact is should you don’t go, you don’t get an opportunity to really compete to qualify so we made the choice to ship our group and we’re trying ahead to see how they handle.”
She described the group as “a younger group. Really, it’s a group combination of youth and expertise. Bruce Burrowes and Dane Schwier have performed on the PanAm Video games area earlier than, and Julian (Morrison). This will probably be Tahjia’s first time and he will probably be main the group on the market and we’re trying ahead to that.”
Coach Rene Denis will meet up with the group in Colombia.
Three of the 4 gamers expressed optimism that the group will truly qualify for the PanAm Video games.
Reigning nationwide champion Julian Morrison stated, “You’ll be able to count on that we’ll be giving 100 per cent. We now have put in plenty of work for the final two months to actually put together ourselves for this. Initially, we thought it might be an elevated court docket however discovering out that it is extremely flat so we’re not essentially at an obstacle as a result of altitude. It’s scorching over there however we coming from Jamaica, particularly this summer time we can climate that storm however I suppose the hardest factor – will we be capable of handle that size of the event with all these three totally different classes. We now have people, doubles and groups happening.”
Bruce Burrowes, who did properly on the trials, stated that the group was not afraid of the anticipated competitors. “We’re going up in opposition to very, very massive nations like America, Peru, these actually massive juggernauts of the western hemisphere however we actually assume that we are able to take them on. We little however we tallawah.”
Tahjia Lumley, winner on the nationwide senior trials, stated that preparation had gone properly. “On the doubles facet, we have now been doing plenty of doubles coaching collectively. We now have additionally began coaching as a group on the bodily facet within the fitness center with our coach. On that facet, we have now been doing plenty of group bonding which is absolutely good for us, one thing new nevertheless it’s additionally one thing that we hope to proceed sooner or later.”
He additionally stated “On the psychological facet plenty of work has been performed there. Hopefully, we are able to all put it collectively on every day that we go on the market with our flag on our again and be sure that we make Jamaica proud.”