JOSH PINARD and Amy Gillezeau, both now in their mid-20s, will return to the CASA (Caribbean Area Squash Association) Championships after long absences on Sunday in the Cayman Islands.
Pinard, a two-time national champion who is considered one of the most talented players of the last two decades, had not flown the red, white and black flag since he reached the individual quarterfinals of this tournament at home three years ago.
Gillezeau, a former United States university student who is now working in Costa Rica, also reached the last eight in her last outing in this tournament in 2010.
The former under-19 champ will be playing alongside her sister Faith, the reigning national under-19 champ, national under-17 champ Marie Claire Barcant, Alexandria Yearwood, the national under-17 and 19 runner-up, Charlotte Knaggs and Rhea Khan.
Barcant beat Yearwood for the bronze medal in Junior CASA three weeks ago in Barbados and Faith was also a member of the team.
Nku Patrick, who was crowned under-19 champ in Junior CASA, his brother Mandela, Kale Wilson, Chayse McQuan and Don Lee will join Pinard on the men’s squad.
Wilson, the 2011 Caribbean under-19 champ who is now on the professional circuit and is ranked #202 in the world, nosed out Nku just over a month ago to be crowned national champ.
Mandela, under-19 runner-up in his final year of Junior CASA two years ago, is now at university in the United States, while the 42-year-old Lee, a former top player of the early 1990s who has been based in Canada for over 15 years, has been on the team almost every year since he returned after an absence of over five years in 2009.
Knaggs, a United States university student, and Khan are at the helm of the women’s team. Khan is an 18-time national champ, while the 19-year-old Knaggs was crowned Caribbean under-17 champ in ’11 and ’12 and Caribbean under-19 champ the following two years. The team travels on Saturday and the tournament will be contested from the day after until next week Sunday (August 23).