Team Barbados at the 2024 Pan American U23 Squash Championships

The 2024 Pan American U23 Squash Championships concluded on Saturday evening in Bucaramanga, Colombia. This event was the only qualifying competition for squash at next year’s PAN AM Junior Games, which will take place in Asunción, Paraguay, in August 2025.

Barbados’ Men’s and Women’s teams have successfully secured their spots for the 2025 games, where they will compete against top teams from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, El Salvador, Peru, and Chile (Girls only).

Khamal Cumberbatch and Darien Benn on the podium after winning Silver in the Boy’s Doubles.

The competition intensified on Saturday with the final team playoffs. In the Girls’ Team event, Barbados gave a commendable performance but ultimately finished sixth after a hard-fought battle with Guatemala. Sumairaa Suleman and Eboni Atherley both displayed great skill and resilience but were defeated in their matches 3-1.

In the Boys’ Team event, Barbados also secured sixth place after narrowly losing to Brazil. Khamal Cumberbatch made a valiant comeback but fell in a close 3-2 match against Rhuan Sousa after trailing 0-2. Darien Benn started strong but was defeated 3-0 by Murilo Penteado, who closed out the match with a surge of energy.

A standout moment from the tournament was Khamal Cumberbatch receiving the prestigious Men’s Fair Play Award, which recognised his exceptional sportsmanship throughout the competition.

The Men’s Fair Play Awardee Khamal Cumberbatch is with FPS Secretary General, Lolly Gillen (L) and the U23 Championship Referee, Sofia Navadeh, both from Canada.

Jada Smith-Padmore, Darien Benn, Khamal Cumberbatch, and Alex Stewart will be returning to the USA or Canada, while the remaining team members will arrive in Barbados on Monday night. (PR)