By Morissa Lindsay
Masters squash is definitely being taken seriously and is growing from strength to strength, says Karen Meakins Barbados’ top female player and newly crowned 2022 Betard WSF World Masters Squash Champion.
Following her Gold medal performance this past weekend at the Hasta La Vista Club in Wrocław, Poland, Meakins who captured the Women’s Over-50 title 3-1 against Henrieta Loksova of Slovakia said Masters squash is increasingly growing with a big European circuit while the United States of America and Canadian Open are also held annually.
There are many other Masters tournaments hosted around the world which point to its rising popularity, but Meakins explained if it is to grow and become major in the Caribbean then a lot more funding is required.
“For Masters Squash to continue to grow and develop especially in the Caribbean, we need more funding. This will enable us to hold more tournaments and training camps specifically for Masters players. In Barbados we have a Masters tournament every May and it’s the best attended squash tournament on the local calendar.
“Barbados is the perfect venue for a Masters Squash tournament and with good sponsorship there is no reason that we couldn’t have two big events every year. Facilities are one of our biggest challenges in Barbados and we desperately need public courts for the sport to continue to grow,” she told Barbados TODAY.
The 50-year-old Meakins has made a name for herself around the world in squash similar to fellow outstanding Barbadian men’s champion Mark Sealy, and the two have done tremendously well to put the island on the international squash map. Even though they have both been outstanding, Meakins admitted that while age is just a number and encouraged others to keep playing once they are willing and remain committed, she reiterated that it can also be costly.
“I think that age is just a number. If you are dedicated to a sport and willing to put in the hard work then you can continue to be competitive for many years. In a way I’m living proof of that. Obviously as you get older you have to respect your body and train smarter. It’s definitely easier to get injured so strength training in the gym has become an important part of my training schedule. Also, regular massages and Osteopath visits are very important. Being an older athlete can be very expensive.
“Mark and I are definitely the most active on the Masters circuit, Mark more so than me. We do have some really good Masters players in Barbados and there were two other players from Barbados that travelled to Poland (Paul McLeod and Lynn DeCambra McLeod). I think the challenge for older athletes is the cost involved in entering the competitions. As a Masters athlete it is extremely difficult to get financial support and sponsorship,” she explained.
Meakins added: “There is a really good European Masters squash circuit with lots of events. I personally would love to play some of these tournaments but with the cost of airfares it’s just not possible. Historically the Barbados Masters squash team has always been one of the best in the Caribbean so it would be good to see some of these players competing internationally.
“The beauty of Masters squash is that although it is competitive it is also very social. Because the athletes are older, having fun is as important as playing squash. Age doesn’t really matter as there are events right up to Over 80 now. So, I would tell anyone who is thinking of playing Masters Squash to go for it!” morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb
