The very best of Caribbean junior squash players have assembled in Bermuda for the Bank of Bermuda Junior CASA Squash Championships 2008, where action gets underway at the BSRA courts in Devonshire today.

The tournament starts with Individual Championships from today until the finals on Monday, and then moves onto the Team Championship from 16th until the team finals next Saturday.

Squash spokesman Roger Sherratt said yesterday: "We are delighted to have seven countries competing in this year's Bank of Bermuda Foundation Junior CASA 2008. It takes a great deal of time and effort to organise these championships, and one of the major problems is deciding on seeding for the individual championships because these teams are spread across the Caribbean and rarely have an opportunity to compete against each other except in Junior CASA. Seeding for the Team Championships is easier because it can be done after the Individual Championships when organisers have had an opportunity to assess all of the players."

When asked to assess Bermuda's chances in individual competition Sherratt said: "We have several strong players, with Robbie Maycock no doubt heading the list. He is likely to be seeded number one in Under 19, and he has an outstanding record in Junior CASA having previously won in Under 13 (2002), Under 15 (2004) and in Under 17 (2006). This is his last year in junior squash and if he wins the Under 19 title he becomes only the second player to have ever won all four age group titles. The only other player to have achieved this feat is fellow Bermudian, James Stout.

"Another highly ranked player in junior boys will be Noah Browne who won the Under 13 title in 2006. Noah is expected to be ranked number two in Boys Under 15. Beckett Simmons is showing great promise and is likely be seeded number four in Boys Under 13. We also have two strong contenders in Under 17 Boys in Kristian Muldoon and Micah Franklin, both of whom will likely be in the top 8, but this division is exceptionally competitive and tough to seed."

Bermuda's Girls Team is also well represented in the seedings, with former Under 13 Girls champion (2004) Kelly Barnes seeded in the top four in Girls Under 17, and another very promising youngster, Emma Keane likely to be seeded around number two in Girls Under 13.

Sherratt said: "It's too early yet to gauge our chances in team competition but Guyana have to be strong favourites having won for the past two years. As one of the smallest countries competing we would delighted if both our Boys and Girls teams could finish in the top three.

"Whatever our final position, the level of squash being played during these championships will be very high, and very exciting. Our juniors have been training hard for months and now they have an opportunity to measure themselves against the best young players in the Caribbean."

Matches are being played daily from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, and from 2 p.m. until 9 p.m. until the Team Finals day next Saturday which is scheduled from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Sherratt added: "Admission to the BSRA is free throughout the championships and we encourage not only Bermudians to come out and support our team, but anyone from the Caribbean to come out and support their national teams. "

n During the past few days several of the overseas teams had been in contact with local organisers enquiring about the safety of their players in the event of Hurricane Bertha threatening Bermuda, but they have been assured that Bermuda has the ability to keep them safe. Bermuda's National Squash Team was in Jamaica when it was struck by a hurricane a few years ago, and of course, Cayman had a devastating hit as well.