‘Rising Stars’ impress at Bounty Farms Handicap squash

The future of Guyanese squash looks increasingly bright after the Bounty Farm-sponsored Handicap tournament concluded at the Georgetown Club, showcasing a “very pleasing” rapid improvement in the sport’s grassroots.

A record number of new participants registered for the six-day event, which transitioned from the National Racquet Centre to the Georgetown Club.

While the elite stars eventually took the headlines, the ‘rising category’ caught the eye of onlookers. The category, designed for beginners, demonstrated a significant jump in technical ability and tactical awareness across the week.

The tournament’s unique handicap system forced top-tier players to test their “fitness and temperament” to the limit.

In the Elite final, Mary Fung-A-Fat rebounded from a 10-15 first-set defeat to Alex Arjoon, levelling the match 15-6; she then produced a flawless 15-0 final set to secure the title.

Handicaps also played a decisive role in the Open category. Ethan Bulkan pushed Blake Edwards to the absolute limit, but his -6 handicap compared to Blake’s -3 proved too heavy a burden in a tense 15-10, 11-15, 15-13 finish.

The Bulkan family narrative continued to evolve, as Egan Bulkan reached the semi-finals before falling once again to his younger brother.

Other standout performances included:

• Nicholas Mohamed showed incredible grit to defeat Jadah Hughes 15-14, 10-15, 15-13 in a match that could have gone either way.
• Ashley Khalil overcame a mid-match blip against Ashante Smith to win 15-2, 13-15, 15-2.
• Kirsten Gomes remained composed to see off Taylor Fernandes-Henry in straight sets.

The Guyana Squash Association will look to capitalise on this momentum immediately. Attention now turns to the Junior Skill Level Tournament, which is scheduled to begin on March 23, where many of this week’s “Rising” stars are expected to compete.

Selected Results

Elite Division

• Mary Fung-A-Fat def. Alex Arjoon 10-15, 15-6, 15-0
• Ashley Khalil def. Ashante Smith 15-2, 13-15, 15-2
• Kirsten Gomes def. Taylor Fernandes-Henry 15-11, 15-8

Open Division

• Blake Edwards def. Ethan Bulkan 15-10, 11-15, 15-13
• Lester Lewis def. Egan Bulkan 12-15, 15-9, 15-6
• Emily Fung A Fat def. Jibril Alli 6-15, 15-14, 15-9

Rising Division

• Nicholas Mohamed def. Jadah Hughes 15-14, 10-15, 15-13
• Fola Cadogan def. Azaria Proffit 15-10, 15-7
• Samara Sukhai def. Javon Daziel 15-6, 15-9

FULL RESULTS: https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Bounty-Farm-Ltd-Mash-Handicap-2026