Bermuda's senior squash squad travel to Barbados next week to compete in the Caribbean Championships and are confident of improving on the impressive achievements of the Island's juniors, who finished third overall in Guyana last month.

According to Bermuda Squash Racquets Association's Director of Squash Ross Triffitt, the young team, which consists of Bermuda-based South African professional Gary Plumstead as well as Bermudians Nick Kyme, Tommy Sherratt, James Stout and Sam Stevens, is perfectly capable of winning the tournament outright.

And he predicts Bermuda will establish itself over the coming fortnight as the most powerful squash nation in the Caribbean.

"Without question this is the strongest squad that we have ever had, certainly during my time in charge," said Triffitt.

"After all," he continued, "we have two internationally ranked players in the team and neither of them have yet beaten Gary, who was very highly ranked in South Africa before he turned his attention to coaching. Looking at the five players, we have a very young, talented bunch of guys and I think this will work in our favour not just this year but in the years to come."

Plumstead, who is the oldest member of the squad at only 31, has not been seriously challenged by anybody in Bermuda or the northern Caribbean since he came to the Island three years ago, though this will be the first time he has taken part in a competition which encompasses the entire region.

Despite a number of unknown quantities in the shape of several Guyanese players based in Canada, the gifted left-hander will still be the favourite to win the individual event and be crowned Caribbean champion.

Somebody who will be desperately hoping to finally topple the current Bermuda number one is Nick Kyme. The 22-year-old Bermudian, who is in the process of taking his first tentative steps on the professional tour, has on paper at least, never come close to beating Plumstead in tournament play.

Many knowledgeable observers, however, believe that with age on his side and his undoubtedly superior fitness, a Kyme triumph is not very far away.

With the distinct likelihood that both Plumstead and Kyme will be seeded one and two in the individual championships, and barring any dramatic upsets, it will soon become clear whether Kyme, the pretender to the title of the Island's best player, is now ready to wrest the accolade away from the all-conquering South African in the perfect setting of a major Caribbean final.

At number three in the team is 27-year-old Tommy Sheratt who has represented Bermuda at Junior World Championships in the past as well as at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.

Although he continues to be plagued by injuries to his hips and lower back, which have often restricted the intensity of his training, he is well known in Bermuda squash circles as a considerable talent, capable of beating anybody when his mind and his body are right.

James Stout, who dominated the junior championships in Guyana to an arguably unprecedented extent, will play at number four.

The 18-year-old, who along with Kyme has turned professional and who has spent the last two months training in Europe, has improved considerably over the last year since finishing his studies at Cheltenham College in the UK. According to Triffitt, he should not be troubled lower down the order by many in the Caribbean.

The final place in the five goes to 22-year-old Sam Stevens, who recently graduated from Durham University and has finally returned to full-time training with the national squad following major back surgery last summer.

Meanwhile, the squad have been putting the finishing touches to their preparation over the last week with Canadian based coach Mike Way, who is head of the Canadian Squash Centre in Toronto and is the current coach of the world number two Jonathan Power.

Triffit remains convinced that the quality of Bermuda's training over the last two months as well as the relative youth of the team, will help them prevail against all challengers in Barbados.

"Many other countries down there have improved their level since I have been involved in squash here," he conceded.

"But I think we have the edge over all of them in terms of our preparation, our age and our ability."