Bank of Bermuda Foundation Junior CASA Championships 2008, BERMUDA
Posted by Pat Foster on 09-Apr-2008Categories: Juniors, News, Press, Tournaments Add Trackback
The Bermuda Squash Racquets Association (BSRA) is pleased to announce that it will be hosting the 2008 Junior CASA Squash Championships July 11- 19, kindly sponsored by the Bank of Bermuda Foundation.
This major annual junior tournament will include at least 8 teams from Caribbean countries, including Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman, Guyana, Jamaica, OECS, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.
Director and Secretary of the Bank of Bermuda Foundation, David Lang, explains, “Bank of Bermuda Foundation is pleased to be title sponsor of the 2008 Bermuda Junior CASA Championships. We recognise sport as a vital element in the all-round development of Bermuda’s young people. Bermuda is brimming with talented young athletes and we see this tournament as a great opportunity for the Island’s junior squash players to showcase their skills here at home while developing their confidence and athletic ability as they compete with their peers from throughout the Caribbean.”
Ross Triffitt, Director of Squash, says, “We are delighted to have the Bank of Bermuda Foundation as title sponsors for this prestigious tournament. The Bank of Bermuda Foundation are strong supporters of our junior squash programme, having sponsored the Bermuda Junior Open Squash Championship since its inception 5 years ago. The Bermuda Junior Open has been held at the same time as the major PSA squash tournaments, and has successfully attracted strong young players from abroad to compete against our local juniors and provide them with opportunities to gain valuable international experience on home turf. The Foundation’s generous sponsorship of the 2008 Junior CASA Championships is a great boost to our local squash programme which continues to grow from strength to strength.”
Although Bermuda is one of the smallest countries competing in Caribbean squash, Bermuda’s Juniors performed exceptionally well in last years Junior CASA, held in the British Virgin Islands, when the Girls Team finished 2nd overall, and the Boys Team finished 3rd. Hosting the championships lends a slight advantage to the home country so Bermuda will be looking for an improvement on last year’s results.
But that is not the only benefit of holding the 2008 Junior CASA Championships in Bermuda. As Ross Triffitt explains, “Hosting Junior CASA in Bermuda brings the very best youngsters from all over the Caribbean to the Island, giving our own juniors the incentive to compete for places on the team and to support their team members. All of our juniors, including players on the fringes of getting into our National Team, enjoy a unique opportunity to meet young people from all backgrounds who are keen on the sport. It is this kind of exposure to exciting international competition that helps to raise our standards and keeps our youngsters excited about squash. Many of the visiting players are hosted by local families and this encourages everyone involved to form lasting bonds of friendship throughout the Caribbean.”
Each country will be sending up to 14 players – comprising a Boys Team and a Girls Team, each numbering 7, including two Under 19’s, one Under 17, one Under 15, one Under 13, and two reserves. The Championships include both individual and team events, and as hosts, Bermuda can enter additional players in individual competition. However, to encourage maximum international participation, Bermuda is extending this opportunity to all countries.
The BSRA is proud of its highly successful junior squash programme which has experienced a 10% growth in the last 12 months, with a total of more than 6,000 schoolchildren’s visits to the club and approximately 200 children playing on a regular weekly basis.
Pictured: David Lang of the Bank of Bermuda Foundation with some of the BSRA Juniors.
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