Title No 6 for Best as Squash competition ends

Meagan Best captured her sixth senior women’s national title last weekend following four exciting days of competition at the 2024 Barbados Senior and Masters National Championships played at the Barbados Squash Club in Marine Gardens, Christ Church.

A double Pan-American Games bronze medallist, Best easily outdid the number two seed Sumairaa Suleman 11-2, 11-3, 11-2 in the women’s contest that preceded the senior men’s championship match won by Khamal Cumberbatch 11-5, 8-11, 11-3, 11-9 on Sunday against veteran Shawn Simpson.

Drawn in group A, Best and Cumberbatch, the top-seeded players, did not disappoint as they played well and brought the curtains down on the championships that also included the Over-40s, 50s and 60s finals.

It was expected that Best would dominate the women’s exchange given her superior standard and ability. She lived up to expectations when she dismissed overall third place finisher Eboni Atherley 11-1, 11-1, 11-1 in the semifinal round and went the full distance against Suleman, making her second appearance at a senior final. Suleman, positioned in Group B, played longstanding squash player Muffin Stollmeyer and won 11-5, 11-5, 11-7 in the other women’s semifinal.

Cumberbatch, likewise, refused to succumb to any pressure from 11-time national champion Simpson, a player with tremendous calibre and capability – which he has proven over the years as a Barbadian representative. Even though Simpson won the second set and equalised, Cumberbatch took a handle on the match and finished it off in the fourth period.

Cumberbatch also emerged out of Group A with a persistent 11-6, 6-11, 11-8, 19-17 victory coming against challenger Jason Doyle in the men’s semifinal.

Just as entertaining was the other semifinal. Despite a spirited fight, Darien Benn was unable to upset the number two seed Simpson with a feverish 11-7, 12-10, 12-10 win on Saturday. That set the stage for both Cumberbatch and Simpson to meet each other in the senior men’s final on Sunday and play a commendable level of squash.

Many senior players like top seed Robert Cameron won the men’s Over-40 11-6, 11-5, 11-1 challenging the number two seed Mark Gilkes. Marlon White claimed the men’s Over-50 with an 11-9, 11-8, 11-7 feat against Jason Small. Jonathan O’Dowd clinched the men’s Over-60 with an 11-5, 13-11, 7-11, 11-8 performance against Calem Maloney.

Muffin Stollmeyer captured the women’s Over-40 crown when she defeated Allison Smith-Padmore 11-7, 11-2, 11-4. In the women’s Over-60, Lynn deCambra lost 11- 8, 7-11, 11-4, 13-11 to Lucyla Seale.

(AS)