AGI emerge champions of KPMG Squash League

By Sports Desk April 19, 2023
AGI team of (L-R) Stephan Morrison, Tahjia Lumley and Julian Morrison receiving the KPMG Squash League trophy from Rajan Trehan (R) - Country Managing Partner of KPMG while Karen Anderson (L) - president of the Jamaica Squash Association shared in the moment. AGI defeated Almost Capable to be crowned champion of the league last Friday at the Liguanea Club in Kingston.. AGI team of (L-R) Stephan Morrison, Tahjia Lumley and Julian Morrison receiving the KPMG Squash League trophy from Rajan Trehan (R) - Country Managing Partner of KPMG while Karen Anderson (L) - president of the Jamaica Squash Association shared in the moment. AGI defeated Almost Capable to be crowned champion of the league last Friday at the Liguanea Club in Kingston.. Contributed

AGI (Advantage General Insurance) defeated Almost Capable 2-1 in the final of the KPMG Squash League recently at the Liguanea Club in Kingston to be crowned league champion.

AGI’s Julian Morrison defeated Almost Capable's top player Adam Lee 3-1 (10-21, 21-18, 21-20, 21-20) to give his team an early lead. Tahjia Lumley secured the title when he beat Alan Roper 3-0 (21-18, 21-15, 21-18) in their best of five match-up.

With the title already lost, Daniel Chung clawed back some pride when he beat Stephan Morrison 2 -1 (21-18, 15-21, 21-18).

"Firstly the entire KPMG League was a successful league. I think it was a very good opportunity for everybody who’s playing to be able test their skills at deficit - playing better players,” said Morrison the AGI captain afterwards.

"I love it. I think it was great. I think that everybody played well throughout the entire thing because everybody has gotten through with three-game win.”

 Cereal Killers, who lost to AGI in the semi-final, was third while Big Shot was the plate winner that was decided between the top two losing teams. AGI's Dave Morrison was named the Most Valuable Player.

President of the Jamaica Squash Association, Karen Anderson was pleased with how the tournament played out.

 "It was fantastic. It brings out everything, the competitiveness, the sportsmanship, the cheering for the underdog, the underdog trying to bring down the big gun,” she said.

“The uniqueness of the event (the handicap system of play) is what makes it and what captures people's enjoyment with it and so we are very excited about the tournament."

Anderson said that the league was very important for the game locally, especially for the juniors who get to play against various types of players at different skill levels as they prepare for the upcoming Caribbean Championships.

According to Rajan Trehan, country managing partner of title sponsor KPMG, "We are thrilled with how the tournament went. I think the format of the game is so interesting. This along with the junior trials and the senior trials within the time period of this tournament, has really given the juniors a lot of practice and given them a basis to step up their game. I think the timing is just perfect for this tournament."

 

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    The KPMG Jamaica Squash League kicked off its much-anticipated season with defending champions, Advantage General Insurance (AGI), securing comfortable victories in their first-round matches at the Liguanea Club. The 16-team league, sponsored by KPMG and organized by the Jamaica Squash Association (JSA), witnessed AGI's strong start, reaffirming their status as the team to beat.

    AGI made strategic changes to its four-member lineup for the opening night, introducing Fitzroy Smith and Darren Latchman in place of Julian Morrison and Stephan Morrison. The core team members, Dave Morrison and Tahjia Lumley, remained from the previous year, displaying the squad's versatility.

    The lineup adjustments proved inconsequential as AGI dominated their opening round matches. All-Jamaica champion, Tahjia Lumley, showcased his prowess in a thrilling battle against Robert Chin of Squashbucklers. Despite the handicap challenges, Lumley emerged victorious in three sets with scores of 21/18, 21/18, and 21/19, setting the tone for AGI's success.

    Reflecting on his performance, Lumley expressed satisfaction with the match and acknowledged the added challenge of handicapped scoring. "It was good. I haven't played a handicapped scoring match since last year's finals, so it's obviously different. My handicapped has dropped significantly to minus three points, so everybody that I play this year is gonna be even harder to compete against them," said Lumley.

    Dave Morrison continued AGI's winning streak by defeating Alexis Robinson in a hard-fought contest, securing the match with scores of 15/21, 21/17, 23/21, and 21/17. Fitzroy Smith followed suit with a straight-sets victory over Peter Walker with scores of 21/17, 21/15, and 21/19.

    Looking ahead, AGI is poised for the next stage of group matches, with Lumley emphasizing the team's focus on navigating each match strategically. The second round matches are set to commence on Tuesday, March 12, at the Liguanea Club and UWI's Senior Common Room, promising more exciting squash action in the ongoing KPMG Jamaica Squash League.

  • 24th KPMG Squash League serves off on Tuesday 24th KPMG Squash League serves off on Tuesday

    The Jamaica Squash Association (JSA) and KPMG joined forces recently to launch the 24th KPMG League which will feature sixteen teams. The launch was held at the association's home base at the Liguanea Club in New Kingston. 

    There was a mood of heightened excitement for this year's staging of the league after last year's successful post Covid-19 return. AGI was the dominant team then but there is one change to their line-up which could make the difference this year. 

    Karen Anderson, president of the JSA said "we can expect exciting matches. We see some really strong teams that have registered for the event and I think we will see an upset or two and so we are extremely excited to see how the matches will play out over the two months of the event." 

    The league will run on a handicap system which is used to level the playing field so that everybody will have a chance to play and do well.

    The teams will play round robin matches in the first round of four teams per group. The top two teams will go to the quarterfinals where all matches going forward will be played on a knockout basis. The other two teams in the group will play in a plate final or final for the losing teams. 

    Anderson announced that the association will introduce new software to run the league fully for the first time.

    "The association will be running it using the software that we have, the SportyHQ software, which will help us to be a bit more efficient in getting our results out and in the efficiency of the play because now people can follow live. We are trying to be innovative in how we bring new and different to a league that has been running for 24 years." 

    Additionally, Anderson welcomed new sponsor Wata to provide hydration throughout the league. She thanked title sponsor for this year's sponsorship of five hundred and fifty thousand dollars. This will allow for the association to take up the cost of staging all the matches while relieving the teams of the cost of hosting matches. 

    Rajan Trehan, country managing partner of title sponsor KPMG credited the league for its continued high contribution to developing young players in the game of squash in the country.

    "Over the period (of our sponsorship) it has developed into a very strong league and its one of the major events on the JSA calendar. We are proud because we believe in the development of youth as well as sports and we have adopted squash as one of the sports to make sure that we contribute in the development of squash in particular." 

    He also said that KPMG will be around for much longer than the 24 years they have been sponsoring the league. 

    One of Jamaica's best young player Sanjana Nallapati endorsed that league while saying that her game had improved because of her involvement in the league. "It (her game) was definitely better because we had a bunch of matches. Games are usually up to 11 but these were up to 21. Even though it was best of three, it tested our fitness quite a bit and the squash definitely improved quite a bit by the end of it." 

    Dave Morrison of defending champion AGI (Advantage General Insurance) was upbeat about the league. "Last year was really satisfying. We have never always done well because the nature of the tournament is to ensure that regardless of the quality of players you have, it’s all eliminated or equalized because of the handicap structure. But last year we really came out with a certain level of determination and yes, I had to one or two times, I had to save the team but I will remind them that that's what I did but yes, we had a very, very exciting tournament last year. I really enjoyed it." 

    The league will serve off on Tuersday evening at the Liguanea Club while it is scheduled to end on April 19 at the same venue.

     

  • Julian Morrison, Mary Mahfood retain Jamaica national senior squash titles Julian Morrison, Mary Mahfood retain Jamaica national senior squash titles

    Julian Morrison and Mary Mahfood were crowned national champions of Jamaica as the 2023 Jamaica Squash Association Senior Squash Championships came to a conclusion in Kingston on Saturday.

    Morrison rallied from a game down to win a four-game thriller against Ashante Smith at the Liguanea Club in New Kingston to win his second national title. Morrison won 6-111, 11-4, 11-8, 11-7.

    Meanwhile, Mahfood claimed her second consecutive title after making quick work of Lauren Mahfood, 11-3, 11-5, 11-5, in the encounter that lasted less than 30 minutes.

    The top-seed Morrison advanced to the final by defeating number-three seed Bruce Burrowes in a stirring battle 11-7, 11-9, 6-11, 11-4 on Friday night. Smith, meantime, the number-six seed shut out second-seed Tahjia Lumley 11-7, 11-4, 11-7.

    Mahfood enjoyed a much easier route to the final steamrolling number-three seed Savannah Thompson 11-2, 11-5, 11-1 in her semi-final.

    In contrast, Lauren was forced to dig deep to overcome Sanjana Nallapati, the fourth-seed in a five-game battle royal 11-8, 7-11, 11-8, 11-13, 13-11.

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