Pageantry met purpose as Jamaica Squash Association and KPMG renewed their long-standing alliance with the launch of the 26th KPMG Squash League at the Liguanea Club.
A vibrant parade of teams clad in branded gear transformed the venue into a carnival of color, setting the tone for a season thick with anticipation. Though defending champions Blown will not return to defend their crown, the field is brimming with contenders, led by last year’s runners-up, the Saints, all eyeing the trophy in what promises to be a fiercely contested campaign.
Endurance meets skill in new format
This year’s competition introduces a demanding twist: matches will be played to 21 points instead of the traditional 11, placing a premium on stamina as much as shot-making precision. Over the coming months, players will be tested not only on technique but on resilience as the longer format stretches both body and nerve.
Fourteen teams began the battle Tuesday evening at the same venue, with the league scheduled to culminate on April 10. Each squad fields four players, including a reserve, spanning a wide age range, from emerging juniors to seasoned veterans, in a handicapped structure designed to level the playing field across skill tiers.
A league for all levels
Tournament director Nathlee Boreland explained that the handicap system ensures genuine competitiveness.
“A handicap tournament basically evens the playing ground for advanced players who will play against persons of a lower level,” Boreland said, noting that lower-ranked players begin with a points advantage while elite competitors must claw back from zero or even negative starts. “So it’s for the person with the higher skill level to concentrate in order to get even… and then go on to win, so it’s not gonna be easy.”
The format underscores the league’s mission: to challenge every athlete who steps onto the court.
Tradition, talent, and youth on display
League president Karen Anderson hailed KPMG’s enduring commitment and celebrated the surge of youth participation.
“I think it’s going to be a really great tournament this year,” Anderson said. “It’s the 26th year of partnering with KPMG in this event… We have a big bunch of juniors who are playing and we are excited about them participating.”
Corporate backing remains central to the league’s longevity. KPMG partner Al Johnson emphasized the broader impact beyond sport.
“We see the benefit of the investment… They are building young minds, preparing these young people for competition locally, regionally, and internationally, and it all starts here,” Johnson said.
New names, old rivalries
The draw features an eclectic mix of team identities, Rally Royals, Racket Science, Just Hit, Dem Indians, One Of A Kind, Squashbucklers, Badmanfu, and Boast Warriors, alongside institutional entries such as Campion College, Juniors, JDF, and KPMG’s own squad, returning for a second year.
With six recently renovated courts at the Liguanea Club serving as the league’s primary stage, matches will unfold on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, typically starting at 6:00 p.m.
Saints target redemption
For Saints captain Mario O’Connor, the absence of defending champions Blown removes a formidable obstacle but not the hunger for redemption.
“You can only expect good squash,” O’Connor said. “It’s unfortunate that they are not here this year… but since they are not here we just have to make do, play everybody who comes along and see if we can make it to the finals again and win it this time.”
Opening night sets the tone
Early results hinted at the competitiveness to come. Campion College edged JDF B 2-1, Rally Royals swept KPMG 3-0, Racket Science outlasted Just Hit 2-1, and Dem Indians defeated One Of A Kind by the same margin, a fittingly tight start to a marathon season.
As rackets clash and endurance is tested, the 26th staging of this cornerstone event appears poised to deliver drama worthy of its legacy.
