The 46th All Jamaica Junior and Senior Squash Championships kicked off on Sunday at the Liguanea Club, delivering intense competition and thrilling moments for an enthusiastic crowd. The spotlight was firmly on the junior players, many of whom showcased their rising talent on the opening day.
Thirteen-year-old Marley Price, who began playing squash in 2019 under coach Gill Binnie, was one of the standout performers.
Price opened her campaign in the Under-17 category against Rihana Stoddart, narrowly losing a five-set thriller 2-3, with scores of 6-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-4, 0-11. She rebounded strongly in subsequent matches, defeating Grace Dwyer in the U13/U15 category 3-0 (11-2, 11-7, 11-1) and Hinal Lohana 3-0 in U17 (11-6, 11-8, 11-2).
Reflecting on her goals for the tournament, Price said, “I’m definitely looking to win U15. That’s going to be a tough match I know and I’m trying to make it to U17 finals too to get that medal.”
She also expressed her love for the sport and the community surrounding it:
“I like the competitiveness, the community and the people you get to meet through it. I feel like I’ve been working hard. Some games I didn’t do as good as I wanted to but in the end it worked out fine. I really enjoy this sport a lot. It’s one of my passions and I can’t wait to see what it has in store for me.”
Price already boasts regional representation, having competed for Jamaica at the 2023 Junior CASA tournament in St Vincent.
Defending champions show no mercy
On the boys’ and girls’ front, defending champions Ethan Miller and Mehar Trehan dominated their opening-day matches, signaling they intend to retain their titles.
Miller dispatched Ethan Williams 3-0 (11-0, 11-0, 11-3), followed by Govind Venugopal 3-0 (11-0, 11-5, 11-5), and Judah Tavares-Finson 3-0 (11-1, 11-3, 11-1).
Trehan also impressed with a pair of straight-set victories: defeating Priya Stoddart 3-0 (11-7, 11-0, 11-1) and Rhiana Stoddart 3-0 (11-1, 11-0, 11-1), demonstrating precision, stamina, and tactical skill.
The junior matches will continue before the seniors commence their tournament on Wednesday, promising further high-quality squash action in Kingston.
