The Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Lands and is pleased to announce that the Cayman Islands Squash Team returned from the Central American & Caribbean (CAC) Games in Cali, Colombia on Friday, 27 July, with three bronze medals.

The victories in the singles, doubles and team event, confirm the squad’s credentials as a regional powerhouse in the sport, ahead of the Cayman Islands hosting of the Pan American Championships (PAC) next month (26 August – 1 September).

Eilidh Bridgeman and Jade Pitcairn won Bronze medals in the Women’s doubles, Cameron Stafford and Marlene West gained Bronze in the Mixed Doubles and the Ladies team, comprising: Jade Pitcairn, Marlene West and Eilidh Bridgeman, earned Bronze to top off the medals haul by local players.

“I am delighted to celebrate the victories of our national team,” said Sports Minister, Hon. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, having met the squad off their evening flight.

“We have such an amazing pool of talent in squash, as evidenced by these latest wins, and by a competitive programme that has produced many great squash players over the years. I look forward to attending as many of the matches as possible when we host the PAC at the South Sound Squash Club in a few weeks’ time,” the Minister added.

Men’s team players also played extremely well in Cali finishing in 5th and 6th positions.

The CAC’s participating countries in squash (seven women’s teams and 11 men’s) were Barbados, Bermuda, host nation Colombia, Guatemala, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines; and Trinidad and Tobago.

August’s Pan American Championships in the Cayman Islands has 20 countries registered to compete.
Believed to be one of the largest in the history of the event, it will also be the first time it has been held in the Caribbean.

Looking ahead to the PAC, President of the Cayman Islands National Squash Association (CINSA), Janet Sairsingh, said: “We are excited and honoured to be hosting this prestigious event.”

“With so many countries slated to participate we are the only nation in the Caribbean that has a facility that offers the quality and quantity of courts needed to take on hosting”.

Next month’s event will attract the best players and teams in the region, as countries try to qualify for the Pan American Games in Peru in 2019.

Argentina, Brazil, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States of America, and naturally the Cayman Islands will compete.