Pacer Shamar Joseph says he is not surprised by his selection for the West Indies tour to Australia which starts in mid-January, which is part of the ICC Test Championships.

Joseph, who is among five Guyanese in the 15-man squad named by Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Wednesday, attributed his selection to hard work since making his first-class debut earlier this year.

The 24-year-old Joseph worked at a security firm before he launched his cricketing career, and his decision has been justified, as he has so far taken two five-wicket hauls and 21 wickets in five first-class matches.

“Since making my first-class [debut] for Guyana in February, I have been doing well and my five-wicket [haul] against South Africa ‘A,’ I knew I was not far away from playing at the highest level, which has always been my passion and dream,” said Joseph, who came to prominence during the Berbice Cricket Board’s fast-bowling camp with Sir Curtly Ambrose at Albion last year.

“I hope to play in Australia and if I do, I will grab it with both hands since I worked very hard for this, and I will continue to train hard since that is something I enjoy doing,” the confident player added.

Despite falling three places to number 40 in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking, Jamaica's Reggae Girlz held firm as the fourth-ranked team in Concacaf heading into the new year.

The Jamaicans, who drew three and lost one of their last four matches in Women's Gold Cup qualifiers between the last two windows, remain behind second-ranked United States, 10th-ranked Canada, and Mexico, who inched one spot up to 35th in the rankings released on Friday. 

Meanwhile, Haiti, who have attained their highest ever placing at 51st, along with Trinidad and Tobago (78th) and Guyana at 87th, are the next best Caribbean teams on the FIFA rankings list.

At the other end of the rankings, World Champions Spain took pole position for the first time, overtaking United States. Spain is only the fourth team to reach the summit of the rankings after the United States, Germany and Sweden.

France moved two spots up to third, as England held firm in fourth, while Sweden slipped four places into fifth. Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, Korea DPR, and Canada (10th) complete the top 10 in that order, which no longer features Brazil, who slipped two places to 11th.

Guyana secured first place in Group A of League B as the Road to W Gold Cup tournament began its final matchday on Sunday. Guyana won 3-0 against Antigua and Barbuda at the Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadium in Paramaribo, Suriname.

Annalisa Vincent struck with a back-heel in the 39th minute to put Guyana in front. The play developed quickly from a Otesha Charles cross to the left side to a pass in the box by Shanice Alferd before Vincent got the final hit.

Charles put her name on the scoresheet with a header in the 63rd after connecting with a cross from Brianne Desa and Neema Liverpool put the finishing touch on a Guyana corner kick in the 85' on a second assist from Desa.

Meanwhile,  Grenada topped United States Virgin Islands 2-0 to finish Group C of League C of the Road to W Gold Cup with a perfect record at the Bethlehem Soccer Stadium in St. Croix, USVI.

Grenada finished the group with four wins in four matches, while USVI are second with four points, followed by Bahamas with one point.

The first half did not see a goal, but there were ample chances for both sides, including five shots on target for the home side. USVI was getting most of their activity from Ariel Stoltz and Josie Couch, while Grenada’s top scorer, Nia Thompson, accounted for the two best looks at goal for the visitors.

Grenada came out much more aggressive to start the second half and a driving run into the area from Melania Fullerton resulted in a foul from the USVI defense and a penalty kick. Fullerton was tasked with taking the spot kick and she coolly converted, firing in a powerful right-footed attempt for a 1-0 Grenada lead.

Grenada were flying and came within a whisker of doubling the lead in the 71st minute when Roneisha Frank hammered a shot toward goal that USVI keeper Kinda Lambert managed to tip to the crossbar and out of play.

Frank would get her goal in the 78th when miscommunication between Lambert and her defense led to spill in front of goal and Frank was there to clean it up to double the lead, 2-0, which held until the final whistle.

Dominica has made an about turn on its plans to hosts matches in next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup being staged in the Caribbean and USA, citing an inability to get infrastructure in place for the competition dates in June.

The Dominica Government, through its Sports Ministry, on Thursday pointed out that it is “in the best interest of all” that it withdraws as one of the hosts of the global event set for June 4-30.

“The implementation timelines submitted by the various contractors revealed that it would not be possible to complete these works within the stipulated timeframe before the commencement of the tournament,” A press release from Dominica’s Ministry of Culture, Youth, Sports and Community Development Administration explained.

“As a result, a decision was taken not to host any of the matches in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, as it would not be prudent for the Government of Dominica to commit to hosting these games," it added.

In September of this year, Dominica was listed among seven venues in the Caribbean selected to host matches. Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago, are the others. Dominica’s Windsor Park Sports Stadium (WPSS) was shortlisted for one group stage match and two games in the Super 8 stage of the tournament, subject to the attainment of various obligations as set out in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

“Several tangible actions were taken both at the Windsor Park Sports Stadium and at the Benjamin’s Park including the commencement of upgrading and enhancement of the practice and match venues, various assessments and the creation of additional pitches where necessary,” the release stated.

“In light of Dominica’s sterling reputation in hosting international cricket, this decision is considered to be in the best interest of all. The Government of Dominica thanks Cricket West Indies (CWI) for its partnership over the years and looks forward to continued collaboration in the future. The Government of Dominica extends best wishes to the organisers for a successful tournament in June 2024,” the Ministry’s release concluded.

French Guiana and Guyana will contest League A in the next Concacaf Nations League edition, as both secured promotion at the end of League B action on Tuesday.

French Guiana vs. Bermuda

French Guiana defeated Bermuda 3-0, at the Pierre-Aliker Stadium in Fort-de-France, Martinique, to secure top spot in Group C.

Marvin Golitin, in goal for French Guiana, intercepted a free kick service in the 17th minute to deter any positive momentum from the visitors.

French Guiana’s Albert Ajaiso struck inside the box in the 29th on a second opportunity from a long-range hit by Zedan Charlec.

Arnold Abelinti had a hit from outside the box in 45+1 but was just wide of the mark.

Loic Baal added the second in the 49th, with a header at the right post. Abelinti was influential in keeping the play alive prior to the cross in from left field.

Joel Sarrucco added a third in the 90+4 after heading in a contested ball inside the box.

St Vincent and the Grenadines vs. Belize

St Vincent and the Grenadines were 3-0 winners over Belize at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium in St. George's, Grenada.

The win saw St Vincent and the Grenadines taking second spot on nine points, one behind French Guiana, while Belize, ended third on eight points.

Diel Spring opened the scoring in the third minute after connecting with a back pass from Oalex Anderson. 

NAnderson was denied by the left post in the 24th, as St Vincent and the Grenadines pushed for the second goal.

Cornelius Stewart was also denied by the woodwork on his free kick attempt which came off the crossbar, in the 61st minute.

Stewart was denied by the right post in the 70th and Deshawon Nembhard followed the play with a clearance to deny the ball crossing the line.

Kyle Edwards found the back of the net in the 84th, with a chipped ball from midfield to put Vincy Heat 2-0 up.

Oryan Velox sealed the result in the 85th with a hit inside the box, as the host moved out of the relegation spot and secured their stay in League B.

Guyana vs. Antigua and Barbuda

Guyana registered a fifth-consecutive win to confirm their spot as Group D winners when they defeated Antigua and Barbuda, 6-0, at the Felix Sanchez Olympic Stadium in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Kelsey Benjamin opened the scoring in the seventh minute by connecting with a pass across the box from Liam Gordon.

Benjamin went from goal scorer to provider in the 36th with a pass from right field to find an incoming Omari Glasgow inside the box.

Nathan Moriah-Welsh struck from behind the halfway line in the 45th, as Guyana took a commanding 3-0 lead at the break.

Osaze de Rosario added his name to the scoresheet in the 67th by cutting inside and striking a curling shot to the far-right corner of the net.

Leo Lovell added his own in the 90th, with a crossing ball from Gordon, who earned his second assist of the night.

Deon Moore capped off a buildup in the 90+3 to secure the largest margin of victory for Guyana in this campaign, as the Golden Jaguars secured their move to League A.

Puerto Rico vs. Bahamas

Puerto Rico took a 6-1 win over the Bahamas at the Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium in Bayamon.

The win pushed them to 12 points, as they finished second behind Guyana, with Antigua and Barbuda and Bahamas on four and one point respectively. 

Ricardo Rivera put the home side in the lead in the second minute after he finished from deep inside the box.

Rivera struck again from inside the box in the sixth on a second attempt after initially being denied by Charles Tillett.

And Rivera completed the hat-trick in the 19th, with a header in front of goal after he met a cross from Noeh Hernandez.

Darren Rios added a fourth in the 39th after winning an aerial ball and proceeding to beat the defenders.

Marcel Joseph cut the deficit to 4-1 in the 53rd, off a free kick opportunity that Joel Serrano was unable to keep out of his goal. 

Gerald Diaz struck from outside the box in the 74th, with a right-footed strike just at the edge of the penalty arc, before Wilfredo Rivera converted from the penalty spot in the 77th for Puerto Rico’s best margin of victory during the group stage.

Nicaragua vs. Dominican Republic

Nicaragua concluded its campaign with a scoreless draw against the Dominican Republic at the National Football Stadium in Managua.

They finished tops in Group B on 16 points, six points ahead of Dominican Republic.

Oscar Acevedo tested goalkeeper Miguel Lloyd in the very first minute with a strike from outside the box. 

Nicaragua’s Luis Coronel entered in the 31st due to an injury to Matias Moldskred. Coronel had a chance towards goal, but it was headed away by the defender Brian Lopez. 

Riki Alba had the best chance of the first half for the Dominican Republic in the 34th but was unable to get it on frame.

Juan Pineda nearly put the visitors in front in the 51st, but the sides remined deadlocked.

Acevedo had another good look on goal in the 74th, as Nicaragua continued its pursuit of a sixth straight victory.

Dorny Romero was denied the late heroics in the 90+7, as Miguel Rodriguez made the clutch block to maintain the clean sheet.

Trinidad and Tobago emerged the top English-speaking Caribbean nation at the 2023 Pan American Games that concluded in Santiago, Chile on Sunday. The twin-island republic won four medals at the games, securing a gold, one silver and two bronze medals to be tied in 19^th position overall.

Guyana moved to the summit of Group A, while Martinique earned their first victory, as the Concacaf Women's Gold Cup qualifiers resumed with three League B encounters on Wednesday.

Dominica also earned their first point of the season with a draw against Antigua and Barbuda. Four goalkeepers came away with a clean sheet, as stout-heart defending was the order of the third matchday.

Dominica vs. Antigua and Barbuda

Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda played to a scoreless draw at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Saint Lucia.

The visitors were nearly off to a dream start in the fifth as a cross into the box was on its way into goal from Kevoncia James, but Dominica goalkeeper Celia Gregoire grasped the ball to deny the opportunity.

James set up another dangerous opportunity in the 12th, but Donesha Samuel did not get her preferred hit on the ball to keep the scoreline level.

Antigua and Barbuda goalkeeper Anik Jarvis left her line well in the 27th to deny Le-Myah Forde in a one-on-one situation. A minute later, Jarvis delivered back-to-back saves as Dominica could taste the lead.

Ajahna Martin then tested Gregoire from a distance in the 54th but the goalkeepers continued to star into the second half.

Jarvis registered 10 saves and the clean sheet to help Dominica earn its first point of the tournament. Gregoire ended the day with six saves to help Antigua and Barbuda gain an away point and stay within striking distance of first place.

Suriname vs. Guyana

Guyana earned a 1-0 victory over Suriname to move to the top of Group A at the Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadium in Paramaribo.

Both goalkeepers were asked to make timely saves early on. Suriname's Mayra Tjin A Koeng made one of her three critical saves in the 18th, as Stefanie Kouzas looked primed to score from a through ball. 

On the other end, Chante Sandiford got her hands to divert a dangerous attempt in the 29th, in what was one of her four saves on the night.

Shanice Alferd broke through for the only goal of the night in the 41st by connecting with a cross into the box from Jalade Trim.

Suriname’s attacking front tried desperately to get the elusive equaliser in the second half, as Andaya Lantveld had one of her team’s best opportunities in the 55th. But Sandiford provided little room to work with and the woodwork did the rest.

The encounter was decided by small margins as Guyana and Suriname have now switched places in the standing, separated by goal difference.

Martinique vs. Nicaragua

Martinique registered their first victory of the tournament with a 1-0 result over Nicaragua at the Pierre-Aliker Municipal Stadium in Fort-de-France.

Maeva Salomon struck from distance in the opening minute of play and forced Nicaragua's goalkeeper Angela Gutierrez to get a hand on the ball which bounced off the woodwork.

Mylaine Tarrieu continued the menacing start from Martinique with an attempt in the 11th that went just wide of the mark.

Nicaragua’s Nuria Marquez dribbled into the box in the 28th, but her final touch was deflected by the outstretched leg of Emmeline Mainguy.

Ludmila Gaydu pounced inside the box for the opening goal in the 43rd, taking advantage of Gutierrez diving to punch away another attempt a few seconds prior.

Salomon continued to threaten with attempts on goal and service to her teammates, with a 68th-minute attempt from distance that went just wide.

Nicaragua never gave up searching for the equaliser as Niurka Molina had opportunities on goal in the 87th and 90th, but Mainguy maintained the clean sheet.

Trinidad and Tobago secured their first medal of the Pan American (PanAm) Games courtesy of the Men’s 3X3 basketball team, which edged Venezuela 21-20 in the third-place playoff in Santiago, Chile on Monday.

The twin island republic, who had knocked off Brazil in Sunday’s quarterfinal, lost in their semi-final contest 21-9 to the United States. The Americans eventually won gold, 21-15 over hosts Chile in the final.

Trinidad and Tobago's National Basketball Federation vice president of organising and development Daron Lall was over the moon and said the fraternity appreciates every effort the team put out.

“We are extremely proud of our team. These guys have been working extremely hard over the last eight to ten weeks. We played some powerhouses. Thank you to the team and the coaching staff for all they did. We know the struggles they went through and the obstacles that happened, but we are grateful as a country for putting us on the map. It’s emotional," Lall said.

At the Centro Acuatico, TT swimmer Nikoli Blackman had another tough day in the pool as the settled for sixth place in the men’s 100m freestyle B final. He clocked 50.81s.

In the earlier heats, Blackman placed sixth in heat three of four, in 51.01s. His time was 17th fastest overall but good enough for the B final. Racing out of heat four was compatriot Zarek Wilson, who was eighth fastest to the wall in 58.37s.

Meanwhile, one of CARICOM’s best hopes for a PanAm Games boxing medal in Chile, Keevin Allicock was eliminated Monday.

The Guyanese lost his featherweight quarter-final bout to American Jahmal Harvey, the 2021 world champion in the 57kg division. Top Barbadian Charles Cox also lost his light heavyweight quarterfinal, going down 4-1 to Haiti’s Cedric Belony-Duliepre.

Guyana defeated Puerto Rico to take a stronger hold of first place in Group D of League B as the 2023–24 Concacaf Nations League continued on Saturday.

Omari Glasgow obtained his fifth goal this season to become the sole leader atop the scoring chart in League B. Guyana’s victory gives it a three-point gap over second-place Puerto Rico with a repeat encounter coming on Tuesday.

Javorn Stevens earned a brace to give Antigua and Barbuda its first three points. The Bahamas continues searching for its first point as it moves down to last place in the group.

Guyana came back to win 3-1 against Puerto Rico at the SKNFA Training Centre in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Both teams entered this match undefeated in the group and it was Puerto Rico who took the lead in the 11^th minute on a goal from Leandro Antonetti. Darren Rios supplied the cross past the right post to find Antonetti for his first goal of the tournament.

Antonetti nearly extended the lead in the 47th but his attempt inside the box curled just past the top post.

Quillan Roberts came up with a big stop on Rios in the 56th to keep the score line within reach for Guyana. Glasgow tied the match in the 60th from the penalty spot after Kelsey Benjamin was brought down inside the box on the previous play.

Benjamin then gave Guyana the lead in the 63rd after capitalizing on a drive into the box by Liam Gordon.

Deon Moore put Guyana up by another in the 85th after stripping goalkeeper Joel Serrano and slotting home the goal that would secure the victory for the away side.

Bahamas vs. Antigua and Barbuda

Meanwhile, Antigua and Barbuda earned their first win of its campaign with a 4-1 result against the Bahamas at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas.

Javorn Stevens opened the scoring in the third minute with a header inside the box. Raheem Deterville was key in winning an aerial ball to set up the assist from Joshua Parker.

Stevens didn’t have to wait long to get his brace after striking again in the ninth on a counterattack. Dion Pereira intercepted the ball to set up Stevens on the breakaway.

Thomas James Bramble increased the lead in the 43rd after stripping a defender and proceeding to strike from inside the penalty arc.

A thrown-in provided the opportunity for the Bahamas to get on the board in the 62nd as Wood Julmis converted off the service inside the box.

Antigua and Barbuda kept pressing for another goal and earned a penalty past the midway point of the second half. Quinton Griffith converted from the spot in the 77’ to regain the three-goal lead.

President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, pledges support to Cricket West Indies (CWI) for the redevelopment of cricket in the Caribbean through infrastructural development, cricket programmes, and commercial opportunities.

On 13 October, 2023, President Ali and CWI President Dr. Kishore Shallow, met at State House in Guyana as part of the commitment to strengthen stakeholder relationships across the region. CWI Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe; CWI Independent Director, Manniram Prashad; and Owner of Guyana Amazon Warriors, Dr. Ranjisinghi Bobby Ramroop were also in attendance.

The Head of State reiterated his commitment to establishing a partnership with CWI to improve the overall performance of West Indies cricket. One of the primary objectives will be establishing a High-Performance Centre in Guyana to service cricketers from across the region.

His Excellency said, “We are excited as a government to play our part with the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and Cricket West Indies (CWI) in the new re-development of cricket in the region. We welcome the partnership with CWI in the development of a regional High-Performance Centre and cricket academy here in Guyana."

He added his intention to work with the CWI President to advance the popularity and growth of the sport on multiple fronts in the Caribbean.

"We are also working with President Dr. Shallow and Cricket West Indies on advancing some innovative ideas in bringing more opportunities to our cricket players and spectators in the Region. I believe strongly that defining our product as distinct from other regions and countries is critical in the rebranding and repositioning CWI globally. Such a plan must incorporate the culture, people and natural beauty of our region."

President Ali underscored the importance of collaboration between parties with an interest in advancing the development of cricket at every level. He said, “I urge CWI to unify their efforts in rebuilding and strengthening our cricket in the interests of all stakeholders.”

Dr. Shallow lauded His Excellency for Guyana’s investments in cricket thus far and recognized the potential of collaborating with Guyana. He expressed, “President Ali’s commitment to cricket is evident with the major investments to stage the magnificent cricket festival, including the CPL finals in Guyana. His zeal for the success of West Indies cricket is unquestionable. This partnership with Guyana promises tremendous value for our young and emerging cricketers who will have access to world-class facilities and programs comparable to the best in the world. I emphasize that for West Indies teams to be iconic again, it is imperative that there is considerable collaboration between CWI and governments in our region.”

Guyana has successfully hosted the last two Caribbean Premier League (CPL) finals. Their cricket festival, culminating with CPL's final, is emerging to be a regional calendar event, having attracted thousands of visitors to Guyana.

In June next year, the West Indies, along with the USA, will host their third senior men’s ICC tournament when the cricket world descends upon our region for the ninth edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

The West Indies previously hosted the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2007 as well as the second edition of the T20 World Cup two years later.

Last week, Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad & Tobago were announced as the seven Caribbean countries that will host matches along with New York, Texas and Florida in the USA.

CEO of Cricket West Indies, Johnny Grave, described the confirmation of the region as hosts as a “big landmark” in a CWI interview last week and is looking forward to inviting the rest of the world to the Caribbean.

“It’s a big landmark for us at Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the ICC because, having this confirmation now that seven of our host countries have made successful bids to host matches means that a lot of the work and detailed planning that we need to do in order to make the most of this huge opportunity to host out third men’s ICC tournament in the West Indies, and this time in partnership with our friends at USA cricket, can start,” he said.

He also went into what are the next steps in preparing for next year’s festivities.

“The next big step is to get the match schedule agreed with the ICC. We’ve got the ten hist venues. The next stage is to work through the detailed match schedule. This is the first World Cup ever to have 20 teams so it’s a big tournament to organize and there’s a small window from early June to the 30^th of June when the final will take place to get all the matches in. We’ve got group stages after the warm-up games. We’ve then got the super eights stage then semi-finals and final so, once that schedule is agreed, then it’s all systems go in terms of tickets being on sale around December to coincide with us welcoming England to the region,” Grave said.

“It’s really important that we get the match schedules announced so that we can invite the world to come to the Caribbean next year,” he added.

Grave also expressed gratitude to the various Governments who put forward successful bids to host matches.

“We’re enormously grateful for the continued support we get from the Governments of the West Indies,” he said.

“All of them that put forward bids have been successful in securing matches which is great news. We’re really looking forward to some of the improvements that those Governments have put forward in their proposals to us and the ICC in terms of ensuring that they are ready for what is the pinnacle of the men’s game currently. It’s a huge opportunity for the region to use the platform of hundreds of millions of fans watching our beautiful countries and our iconic venues and we want everyone in the world to come to the Caribbean and experience what we have to offer,” he added.

While encouraging people from all over the world to make the trip, Grave also urged local fans to come out and support the regional side in their bid for a third World T20 title.

“Absolutely. We’ve seen that unique kind of atmosphere when we hosted the 2018 Women’s World T20 with big crowds in St. Lucia and Antigua when the West Indies played and I’m sure when the West Indies play next June there’ll be big crowds at all the venues,” he said.

“We want every host country to show what a welcoming and exciting place this is to watch and play cricket and it’s really important that the fans come out in their masses. The school children will be invited as part of our community engagement program so that we can show what kind of an atmosphere it is to the world,” Grave added.

 Eight-time Caribbean Cup champions Trinidad and Tobago have surged inside the top 100 on the FIFA World Rankings list for the first time in almost five years following recent wins over El Salvador and Curacao.

The Soca Warriors – in the latest list published Thursday – climbed four places up to 98th from 102, a spot they held in the last rankings in July. They were last inside the FIFA top 100 at 92nd in December 2018. Based on their world position, the twin island republic remains the fourth highest rated in Caribbean Football Union (CFU).

Meanwhile, Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz jumped two places up the FIFA list to 56th and remain number in CFU ahead of Haiti at 87th world ranked and Curacao (90th). Antigua and Barbuda complete the CFU’s top five at 137th.

In the only change to the CFU’s top 10, Guyana have climbed into 10th position with a three place move to 165th in the world, as Barbados – the result of Nations League losses to Montserrat and Nicaragua – slipped out of the top 10. The fell six places on the world list from 166th to 172nd.

World champions Argentina strengthened their grip at the summit of the world rankings. The Argentines, who dethroned Brazil at the top in April, defeated Ecuador and Bolivia in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers earlier this month to improve their status.

Despite losing to Germany in a friendly last week, France retained second place, followed by Brazil (third), England (fourth) and Belgium (fifth).

The unwavering commitment to task, team spirit and the desire to stand out, were the unifying threads linking Guyana's tale of overachievement at the just-concluded Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Senior Championship at the North Sound Courts in the Cayman Islands.

Simply put, the Guyanese left nothing to chance and now they are reveling in the fact that they not only retained the overall championship but had a host of other accolades that sweetened the deal in what was a clear demonstration of the gulf in class –certainly on this occasion –between them and their regional counterparts. 

Along with the overall title, Guyana also clinched the men’s and women’s team events, as well as the men’s and women’s vets’ titles. They also finished tops in the women’s doubles thanks to Ashely Khalil and Ashley de Groot, and in the men’s and women’s over 40 contest courtesy of Jeranzo Bell and Nicolette Fernandes respectively. 

"After a week of intense competition, we are incredibly proud that the blood, sweat and tears that went into putting Guyana back on that top podium once more, proved worthwhile," Guyana squash said in a social media post.

"Our successes become more meaningful when we have a massive community backing us every step of the way. Thanks to our coach Ramon [Chan-A-Sue] and the family and friends of Guyana squash for your endless support. Also, our sponsors without whom, none of this would be possible. Your contributions towards our team success would never go unrecognized," the post added.

In key team final matches, Guyana defeated hosts Cayman Islands 3-2 on their way to the men’s title, while their female counterparts, had a come-from-behind 3-1 win over Barbados for the women’s honours.

The Guyanese had earlier captured the women’s doubles gold through Khalil and de Groot, who bettered the host pair of Jade Pitcarin and Marlene West, but Fernandes and Khalil had to settle for silver and bronze in the women’s singles behind Barbadian Margot Prow.

Another Barbadian Khamal Cumberbatch topped the men's singles event, ahead of homeboy Cameron Stafford with another home player Julian Jervis, edging Guyana's Alex Arjoon for bronze.

Stafford and Jervis later teamed up to stop Cumberbatch and Shaw Simpson, in the men’s doubles final. Jamaica's Bruce Burrowes and Julian Morris took bronze.

Jamaica's duo of Tahjia Lumley and Jessica Davies, topped the mixed doubles contest, leaving Guyana's Jason-Ray Khalil and Fernandes to settle for silver. The Bajan pair of Darien Benn and Jada Smith-Padmore claimed bronze.

It was always expected to be two hard-fought encounters to decide the Men’s and Women’s Singles titles at the 28th edition of the Senior Caribbean Championships, and both lived up to billing, as the Barbados pair of Khamal Cumberbatch and Margot Prow claimed top honours in Cayman Islands on Tuesday.

Cumberbatch and Cameron Stafford of the hosts nation entered the one-week tournament as top seeds in the men’s draw and, so it was no surprise that they locked horns in a keenly contested best-of-five final, which the former won 3-2.

The ding-dong battle which lasted 47 minutes, saw Stafford winning the first game 11-6, before Cumberbatch rallied to win the second 11-3. The Cayman Islands top man again found himself in front winning the third game 11-9, but Cumberbatch asserted authority in the last two games to win 11-9, 11-3.

Predictions were that the women’s showpiece would have been an all-Guyana battle between Nicolette Fernandes and Ashley Khalil, but Prow had other ideas, as she bettered Khalil in the semi-final to set up the gold medal battle with Fernandes.

And the Bajan proved superior to her Guyanese counterpart in the Best-of-five final, registering a 3-1 win. She won the first set 11-7, before Fernandes rallied to take the second 11-9, but Prow, like her compatriot Cumberbatch, showed class at the backend to win the next two games 11-9 and 11-7.

Earlier, Julian Jervis and Stafford, handed Cayman Islands the Men’s Doubles gold medal, as they battled to a come-from-behind 11-7, 11-5 win over the Barbadian pair of Cumberbatch and Shawn Simpson in an entertaining finale. Cumberbatch and Simpson won the first set 7-11.

To get to the finals, both pairs had to endure almost hour-long battles in their respective semi-final encounters, Cumberbatch and Simpson moreso, as they had to come from behind to better the Jamaican pair of Bruce Burrowes and Julian Morrison 11-9, 11-8, after losing the first set 9-11.

While the Cayman duo’s battle against Guyana’s Daniel Ince and Jason-Ray Khalil lasted 48 minutes, they won 2-0 with scores of 11-9, 11-10.

In the Women’s Doubles, Guyana secured gold courtesy of top seeded Ashley Khalil and Ashley De Groot, who justified favouritism with a come-from-behind 11-5, 11-9 win over the second seeded Cayman Islands pair of Jade Pitcarin and Marlene West, who won the opening set 11-4.

Khalil and De Groot had earlier bettered Barbadians Karen Meakins and Margot Prow 11-5, 5-11, 11-5 in a competitive three-set battle lasting just over half-hour, while Pitcarin and West got by the Jamaican duo of Karen Anderson and Mia Todd, 11-9, 11-6.

Jamaica’s Tahjia Lumley and Jessica Davis copped the Mixed Doubles title by virtue of a walkover. The reason for such an outcome remains unclear, as the Jamaicans were expected to face the number two seeded Guyanese pair of Jason-Ray Khalil and Nicolette Fernandes in the showpiece event.

After entering the event as the number five seed, the Jamaicans registered an 11-5, 11-2 win over the Trinidad and Tobago pair of Anthony Allum and Faith Gillezeau, and later scored a two-set 11-5, 11-5 win over top seeded pair of Alex Frazer and Michaela Rensburg of the host nation, on their way to the final.

Meanwhile, Khalil and Fernandes bettered the Barbadian pair of Darien Benn and Jada Smith-Padmore 11-5, 11-8, on their way to the final.

The tournament continues with team action on Wednesday.