Squash players make clean sweep of top places at B/dos Open
By Michael DaSilva
Stabroek News
December 13, 2006
Local squash players Alex Arjoon, Oliver Kear and DeJe Dias made a clean sweep of the top three places in the boy's under-17 age group at the Barbados Squash Association's Toshiba Open Tournament at the Barbados Squash Courts, Marine Garden, Hastings over the weekend.
According to the team's chaperon Alan Dowes, the trio finished in the top three positions in the boys under-17 category, while Arjoon made it a double by winning the boys under-15 category also.
Dowes said the three Guyanese all drew byes to the second round in the under-17 category and in their respective second round matches; Arjoon blew away Moishe Steinbok 9/0, 9/0, 9/0, while Kear dropped one point in his match against Paul Taylor. He won 9/0, 9/0, 9/1. Dias on the other hand beat Haiden Ward 9/3, 9/7, 9/1.
The first semi-final saw two Guyanese facing each other and Kear came out on top over Dias, winning 9/6, 9/2, 9/2 to set up a final against Arjoon who made light work of Jonathon O'Dowd, beating him 9/1, 9/3, 9/0.
In the final, the fitter and more tactical Arjoon had to work for his points, but in the end won 9/3, 9/5, 9/1.
In the third place play-off, Dias came up against O'Dowd and prevailed, winning 9/1, 9/2, 9/2.
The three locals, who are all under-15 players were then asked to play off for a place in the boys under-15 category and having come out on top, Arjoon, the Junior Caribbean under-15 gold medalist came up against Matthew McKenzie and Steinbox in the semi-final and final of the main draw and showed his dominance by beating McKenzie 9/2, 9/0, 9/0 in the semi-final and Steinbok 9/0, 9/0, 9/1 in the final.
Dowes said the trio really played well coming out of the Junior Caribbean Champion-ships in Jamaica in August.