Tahjia Lumley and Alyssa Mullings
Tahjia Lumley and Alyssa Mullings were the surprise winners at the Jamaica Squash Association’s four-day national senior trials that concluded at the Liguanea Club in Kingston on Sunday.
Lumley won in a walk over after the number-one seed Chris Binnie, who had defeated him in the preliminary round, had to leave the island due to work commitments. Mullings, meanwhile, beat the number-three seed Savannah Thompson 3-1 to finish atop the women’s section.
Lumley, who defeated national champion Julian Morrison to reach Sunday’s final, was grateful just to get to the final.
"It was very hard. It was difficult. I thought I was probably in one of the hardest groups playing against Chris (Binnie) and Bruce (Burrowes) in the group stages,” he said.
“I lost out to Chris and I knew that the match against Bruce was very important for me to come out on top in order for me to make it into the top four. So I was a little bit edgy and a little bit nervous in that match but I was glad I was able to come out 3-1 the victor.
“My body aches, my body hurts but I think my hard work paid off."
At the end of the trials, the top four men were Lumley, Binnie, Morrison and Dane Schwier.
The unseeded Mullings had a similar journey, defeating the number-one seed Mia Todd to get to the semi-final and then beat the number three seed Savannah Thompson 3-1 to emerge victorious.
"It was a really tough match. I actually knew of Savannah before coming here and all the other girls. They played really well and I am really proud of what women's squash is becoming. So it’s really great to come back out here and play and get a win," she said.
"I came in unseeded because I really hadn't been playing for a very long time. The last competitive tournament was maybe seven years ago so I really had to fight and get ready for this so it felt good coming back and doing so well."
Mullings said Thompson "played extremely well and she is quite fit. It was hard. It showed, her fitness is a bit above mine. I really have to work on that. I am really at a loss for words. I am really proud of what I was able to come out and do."
The top four ladies were Mullings, Thompson, Todd and Melissa Lue Yen.
Chairman of the Selection Committee Joey Levy was impressed with the level of play during the trials and believes Jamaica’s squash is in a good place.
"We had good groups of seven men and eight women and we saw some really tough squash over a compressed time. Overall, it was just four days in all so most people were playing two games a day (and) it wears on you but really, really competitive stuff, (and) a couple of surprises. We are very happy, the association, we are very with what we have seen," he said.
"Alyssa won the All Jamaica Championships, the Senior All Jamaica Championships at 14 about ten years ago. She stopped playing squash. She hasn't played for a while and has now come back. This is her first tournament since coming back so she came in unseeded. She was very impressive."
Jamaica's teams to the Pan Am Games in June and the Senior Caribbean Squash Championship in August will be announced in the near future.
Elite Jamaica squash player Julian Morrison fights back against doping allegations after positive test for Boldenone
In a bid to clear his name and restore his reputation, Jamaica's national squash champion, Julian Morrison, is challenging the provisional suspension imposed by the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) after testing positive for trace amounts of Boldenone, a banned anabolic agent.
The suspension came following an out-of-competition test conducted on January 18th, 2024, where Morrison's results showed the presence of Boldenone in his system. However, Morrison and his representatives strongly assert that the substance entered his body inadvertently, likely through contamination.
Dr. Emir Crowne and Mr. Matthew Gayle, legal representatives for Morrison, are steadfast in their support of his innocence. They emphasize that Boldenone's presence was unintentional and stress Morrison's commitment to upholding the integrity of the sport.
Speaking on behalf of Morrison, Dr. Crowne stated, "As best as can be determined at this time, the banned substance unknowingly entered Mr. Morrison's system through contamination." Morrison remains determined to expedite the process of vindication and is actively engaging with authorities to clear his name.
Boldenone, often associated with bodybuilding due to its anabolic properties, is prohibited in competitive sports. However, Morrison's case highlights the complexities of anti-doping regulations and the challenges faced by athletes when dealing with inadvertent exposure to banned substances.
Despite the setback, Morrison remains resolute and hopeful for a positive resolution. His representatives have expressed confidence in the ongoing efforts to overturn the suspension and restore Morrison's eligibility to compete.
Teams gear up for quarter finals of KPMG Squash League
After three grueling rounds of matches in the 24th KPMG Squash League, the teams now look forward to the quarter finals which are slated to start on Tuesday, April 9 at the Jamaica Squash Association's headquarters at the Liguanea Club in New Kingston.
The first set of matches which are scheduled for Tuesday will see Racketeers vs Team Big Shots (LC Court 4, 6pm) - Main Draw, Blown vs Premium Reserve (LC Court 5, 6pm) - Main Draw, while The Juniors vs Squashbucklers (LC Court 6, 6pm) - Plate and JDF vs Youth & Experience (LC Court 3, 6pm)- Plate. (Plate is a description for the losing teams who are playing for placement in the sixteen-team league).
The second set of quarter final matches is scheduled for Thursday, April 11 at the same venue. The scheduled matches will see Fantastic Warriors vs Court Crushers (LC Court 5, 6pm) - Main Draw, Saints vs Rampant Rollers (LC Court 4, 6pm) - Main Draw, AGI vs Bulldozers (LC Court 3, 6 pm) - Plate, and Samosas vs Campion Champions (LC Court 6, 6 pm) - Plate.
Defending champion AGI began their defense positively back in early March when they won all three matches played in the first round 3-0 over Squashbucklers but has since lost round two by a 2-1 score line to Racketeers and in the third round was decimated by Court Crushers 3-0.
Based on the results at the end of the group stage and based on defending champion AGI's results, a new champion will definitely be crowned this year.
The teams currently in the running for a place in the final include Racketeers, Team Big Shot, Blown, Premium Reserve, Fantastic Warriors, Court Crushers, Saints and Rampant Rollers.
The first two quarter final matches will be played concurrently on Tuesday with Racketeers taking on Team Big Shots on Court 4 and Blown facing off with Premium Reserve on Court 5. Both matches will begin at 6:00 pm.
Lima to host 2027 Pan American Games
After two intense months of candidacy, the city that will organize the 2027 Pan American Games was finally chosen today.
At 9:00 a.m. (ET) in Miami, the Extraordinary General Assembly of Panam Sports began with the official presentations of the candidate cities of Lima, Peru and Asuncion, Paraguay.
Both cities gave a 40-minute presentation to the Assembly led by the Presidents of the Olympic Committees of Peru and Paraguay, Renzo Manyari and Camilo Perez, respectively. Their presentations featured videos and messages from top government leaders before they submitted to questions from the participating member countries.
After that, a virtual vote was held, a process that was carried out by the renowned British company Lumi. After a few minutes, the President of the Panam Sports Legal Commission, Michael Chambers, handed the envelope of the winning city to the highest authority of the continental organization.
“The city that will host the 2027 Pan American Games is… Lima, Peru,” said Panam Sports President Neven Ilic.
Unrivaled joy was seen among the representatives of Lima and throughout Peru. After organizing the incredible XVIII Pan American Games in 2019, the most important multi-sport event on the continent returns to Peruvian lands in 2027.
“I want to highlight the transparency of the process and the brotherhood of both nations that competed healthily for the right to host the 2027 Pan American Games. I want to congratulate Lima, all of Peru and the President of the Peruvian Olympic Committee, Renzo Manyari, for this tremendous achievement. A few years ago, they shook an entire continent with excitement and today, with more experience and spectacular infrastructure, they want to repeat or improve the success achieved in 2019,” said the President of Panam Sports, Neven Ilic.
“I also take this opportunity to congratulate Paraguay and its NOC President Camilo Perez. They are doing a great job with Paraguayan sport and their athletes, so my call is for them to continue growing and developing. They have a tremendous challenge ahead of them with the Junior Pan American Games in 2025, where I am sure they will be a great host for the entire continent,” concluded Ilic.
For his part, the President of the Peruvian Olympic Committee, Renzo Manyari, was emphatic in pointing out that, “We are happy about this triumph. We will work to make everyone's experience the best they have ever had, and they have the absolute devotion of more than 33 million Peruvians. Thanks for trusting us. Thanks also to President Dina Boluarte and her unrestricted support for this candidacy. “Together We Win!”
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