By Akeem Greene
Barbados’ squash stars, Khamal Cumberbatch and Megan Best, lived up to their top seeding and pre-tournament hype, securing the individual men’s and women’s titles at the ENet Senior Caribbean Squash Championships in Georgetown on Tuesday night.
In a widely anticipated outcome, both players showcased their superior all-round prowess at the National Racquet Centre, underscoring Barbados’ current dominance in regional squash.
Cumberbatch, the defending champion, secured his third consecutive men’s individual title in his fourth final appearance. He overcame a spirited challenge from Bermuda’s veteran campaigner, Micah Franklin, winning in four tough sets: 3-1 (11-5, 7-11, 11-4, 11-4).
Crucially, Franklin became the first opponent in the 2025 tournament to claim a set against the Bajan champion.
Cumberbatch admitted to News Room Sport that he had to draw upon his “reservoir of experience” to recover from the loss and decisively close out the match.
“It’s a dream come true, a manifestation of a childhood dream and years of hard work,” a delighted Cumberbatch stated after securing the victory.
The women’s final was an all-Barbadian affair that proved to be a high-quality, swinging battle between Best and the 2024 champion, Margot Prow.
The contest kept the audience captivated from start to finish.
Best took the early lead by fighting back to win the first set 11-9, and followed up with a clinical 11-8 second.
Just as she was eyeing a straight-sets victory, Prow showed her champion’s resolve, storming back to take the third set 11-5 and extend the match.
However, in the decisive fourth set, Best rediscovered her clinical edge, unlocking a decisive run of points to secure the set 11-5 and seal her third individual title, and first since 2017.
“I am so thrilled to come back to CASA and soar to a title; it means a lot for me and for the people of Barbados,” Best told News Room Sport, acknowledging the difficulty and elation of defeating her teammate.
While the top prizes headed to Barbados, Guyana secured a notable podium finish in the women’s bronze medal match.
2022 Caribbean Champion, Ashley Khalil, seeded 5-8, delivered a performance beyond expectations by sweeping aside fellow Guyanese player Mary Fung-A-Fat in straight sets: 11-7, 11-6, 11-8.
In the men’s third-place playoff, Guyana’s Daniel Ince finished fourth after going down to Bermuda’s Taylor Carrick 11-5, 11-6, 11-8.
FULL RESULTS: https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Caribbean-Senior-Championships-CASA-2025-GUYANA
All eyes now turn to the team segment of the championship, which begins today (Wednesday, November 26) and runs until Saturday.
Host nation Guyana, which stepped in to stage the event after it was relocated from Jamaica, will aim for a fifth consecutive team title.
However, their pursuit of history faces its greatest threat from a powerful Barbadian contingent, setting the stage for a compelling championship finale.
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