IN what was described as an "eye-opening experience", Bermuda's three-man squash team are just finishing up play at the Men's Junior World Squash Championships in Zurich, Switzerland.

Team captain Robbie Maycock along with Micah Franklin and 15 year old Noah Browne, who was one of the youngest players competing in the championship, said they found the going tough but in the end Bermuda still came out ahead of Italy, the Cayman Islands, and China.

In individual competition, Maycock, the Caribbean Under 19 champion, had an excellent win in the first round against an Irishman, while Franklin won against an Italian before both lost in their next rounds Browne didn't win any matches but he played well in the consolation matches.

This past week has seen Bermuda competing in the Team Championships where they started in a round robin against teams from Pakistan, the Czech Republic, and Kuwait. Pakistan is one of the toughest teams in the championships and they reached the final, being seeded #2.

Bermuda squash spokesman Roger Sherratt said yesterday: "Our lads all played well in these three matches, with Robbie Maycock winning his match against the Czech Republic 3-1 (5-9, 9-4,9-5,9-2), but we lost all three matches overall and have since been involved in the playoffs for 17-32 places.

"In the next series of playoffs we lost to Spain 3-0, and against Equador by 2-1 with Maycock winning his match. Our last match of the championships is against Venezuela in a playoff for 27th and 28th places out of the 32 teams competing. This means that Bermuda will finish ahead of at least four teams including Italy, Cayman, and China.

Bermuda coach Denise Sommers said: "I've always wanted to take the boys to Europe so they could see how high the level of squash is world wide. I really think they now have a better understanding of what top junior level squash is and what they will have to do to get to this level. It has been a great experience for all three and they have all played to the best of their ability. We couldn't ask for more."

Maycock said: "These 10 days have been an exciting experience. The level of squash has been extremely high throughout. Some of these players will be world class professionals in the near future. I think all three of us have been inspired with the standard of play we've seen here in Zurich."

His teammate Micah Franklin said: "This tournament is one of the most eye-opening experiences in my life. The level of squash here is amazing. Watching these players has made me want to train harder and longer, and try to make a name for myself. This is my first time in Europe and I think more Bermudians need to come here to really improve their squash."

Noah Browne added: "These past 10 days have been an amazing experience. I thought the standard in Bermuda was high until I saw how high the standard is in the rest of the world. However, now I know how much I have to improve to reach world class."

Sherratt said: "As one of the very smallest countries competing in the World Junior Championships we were not expecting to have our team be up there with the winners. It's been a real challenge for our lads to play at this level, and now they have a real sense of their present standard and of how much they can improve with dedication, hard work, and good coaching. Isn't that the same for all the sports we play in Bermuda? Exposure to high quality international competition will always help our youngsters to improve and strive to reach a higher standard."