Bermuda’s budding squash talent are showcasing their skills in Ontario at the Canadian Junior Open.

Representing the island are under-11 player Ben Sherratt, under-13 duo Mason Smith and James Bigley, and under-15 competitor Owen Rosorea. The prestigious tournament, held in Niagara-on-the-Lake, begins today and concludes on Tuesday.

Last year, Bermuda was represented by 12 players at the event. Coach Anaya Smith explained the reduced numbers this year, citing various factors.

“We have a smaller team this year because some of the players have other priorities,” Smith said. “A few of our older juniors who were here last year just started university. Some are at new schools overseas, or the scheduling just didn’t align.

“Nevertheless, the players we have this year are really good. We’re expecting them to post good results. I’ve spent a lot of time on court with Mason and Ben, focusing on match practice. We tried to inject as much pace and intensity as possible in training so that when they’re on court, they’re playing at a fast pace.

“Ben has a good chance in the under-11 category. He should do really well and finish in the top four.”

Smith, who reached the quarter-finals in the under-11 category last year, is prepared for the challenge of stepping up to the under-13 division.

“I’m going to try and finish in the top ten this year,” the 11-year-old said. “I’ve been working hard in my training sessions, and I’ll be playing in the under-13 for the first time.”

Sherratt enters the tournament with confidence, having defeated Mikael Humayun, the top seed in the under-11 category this year, in a gruelling match to finish seventh in 2023.

“My goal is just to do better than what I did last year when I finished seventh,” Sherratt said. “If I can finish in the top four, that would be really good. My preparations have been great. I’ve been playing a lot of squash and doing drills to get myself ready.”