Three promising young squash players from the British Virgin Islands (BVI) have embarked on a significant international journey as they represent the territory in the PanAmerican Under-23 Squash Championships in Bucaramanga, Colombia.
The competition, which runs from October 6 to October 12, will see BVI’s Luca Reich, Oliver Henderson, and Daniel Henderson contesting in individual, doubles, and team events.
The PanAmerican Under-23 Squash Championships is a prestigious event that brings together top talents from across the region. For Team BVI, the competition will be an exciting test against powerhouse nations like Colombia, the USA, Mexico, Brazil, and Canada.
Meet Team BVI
- Luca Reich, 21, is currently studying at Western University in Canada. He brings considerable experience to the team, having represented the BVI at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the PanAm Senior Championships in Guatemala the same year.
- Oliver Henderson, 18, has just begun his degree at Birmingham University in the UK, which is renowned for its strong squash program. Oliver is already benefiting from training with world-class players, including some ranked within the top 100 in the world.
- Daniel Henderson, at just 16 years old, is the youngest of the trio but no stranger to success. He is the reigning Caribbean U17 Champion and recently reached the quarterfinals of the U17 PanAmerican Championships. Daniel still has two years left at Cedar School in the BVI.
A Tough Challenge Ahead
While the competition will undoubtedly be fierce, National Coach Adam Murrills sees this as a crucial opportunity for the BVI players to gain experience at a higher level. Murrills commented on the team’s growth over the years and their readiness to step up on the PanAmerican stage.
“We have a strong group of youngsters who’ve been developing over the past five years or so,” Murrills said. “It was great to see that group pick up three gold medals at the Junior Caribbean Championships, which we hosted here on Tortola earlier this year. The next step now is to try and start competing strongly on the PanAmerican stage.”
Though the BVI players are on the younger side for an Under-23 tournament, Murrills believes the early exposure to top-tier competition will be invaluable.
“These three have been at the forefront of our junior development, and this should provide them with an amazing opportunity to test themselves against the best players in the region,” Murrills added. “I’m really looking forward to seeing how they stack up and I’m sure it will be a hugely positive trip where they’ll all learn a lot from the experience.”
As they prepare to take on some of the best young squash players in the Americas, Team BVI is sure to gain valuable lessons that will aid in their future development. The tournament promises to be a challenging but rewarding experience for these rising stars.