Mason Smith followed up his history-making heroics from last year by defending his under-11 boys title at the Junior Caribbean Squash Championships on Tuesday

In a repeat of the 2023 final, Smith, 10, beat Bermuda team-mate and close friend Ben Sherratt 11-6, 13-11, 11-9 in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

In the semi-final, the rising star defeated another member of the Bermuda squad in George Quereshi, who was representing the island for the last time before he relocates to Canada with his family.

“It feels really good to be a champion again and it was a good match,” Smith said.

“Ben put up a good challenge and the last two games were close. It was never really a tough final for me, it was what I expected.”

Smith’s success came as a delight to father Stephen, a former Bermuda player at the Junior Caribbean Tournament, who is in British Virgin Islands to support his son.

“It was a very emotional moment for me to see him pull off back-to-back wins,’’ the father said.

“It was very hard for me to see him out there fighting but it was nice to see him and Ben shake hands and congratulate each other at the end.

“In the team tournament, which starts on Thursday, Mason will actually be playing in the under-13 division, while Ben is playing in the under-11s.”

Micah Franklin, the head of squash at the Bermuda Squash Association, expressed his excitement about the future of the sport on the island after Smith’s success.

“Mason Smith winning back-to-back gold medals in the boys under-11 is a phenomenal accomplishment,’’ Franklin said.

“He’s only 10 years old but showing signs of a seasoned professional. Mason, Ben and George are a pleasure to watch, and I’m excited to watch their growth.

“I’m very pleased with the three boys’ professionalism this trip. They stayed focused and determined throughout all of their matches. I’m proud of all of them. The boys give me great confidence for the future of Bermuda squash.”

Eli Carpol defeated Nicholas Lequay, of Trinidad & Tobago, 9-11, 13-11, 13-11, 11-8 to finish third in the boys under-17 division. Carpol, was defeated 3-0 by second-seed Daniel Henderson, from the host nation, in the semi-finals.

Owen Rosorea, the No 2 seed in the boys under-15 age group, finished fourth after losing to Ben Shepherd of Barbados in the medal play-off. Rosorea reached the semi-finals, where his quest for victory was ended by Barbadian Daniel Sealy.

Also just missing out on a bronze medal was Gabrielle Turchiaro, who finished fourth in the girls under-19 category. Olivia Sherratt occupied sixth position in the girls under-17 age group with Rose Paulos ninth in the same division.

Action switches to doubles today before the team event starts on Thursday, with the championships to conclude on Saturday.

Andrew Cox and Ethan Rosorea have been selected as the boys doubles partnership, with Tyler Komposch partnering Turchiaro for the girls event. Carpol and Rose Paulos have been given the responsibility for the mixed team.

Franklin is optimistic about Bermuda’s chances in the team event, in which they usually have to give best to Barbados and Guyana.

“I like Bermuda’s chances and this year I think we can certainly podium and maybe even create an upset to finish in the top two,’’ Franklin said.

“There will be a boys and girls team that involves a match in each age group, from the under-11s all the way up to the under-19s.

“That is a total of six matches and in the event of a 3-3 tie they will count back games and then points.”