From Left: Mike Adams, Dion Anselm, Joe Chapman, Coach Adam Murrills, and Neville Sorrentino represented the Virgin Islands at the 2018 Pan American Squash Championships held in the Cayman Islands August 26, 2018 to September 1, 2018. Photo: PanAm Squash

"The event as a whole was hugely enjoyable and a massive learning experience for all of us involved," said Adam Murrills, Head Squash Coach for the VI National Squad, in a public statement yesterday, September 11, 2018.

"Being exposed to some of the very best squash players in the world was a real eye opener and getting to not only watch but compete against them has definitely opened our players’ minds as to different styles of play and what is really possible on the court," he said.

First Round 

The team departed the VI for the Cayman Islands on August 24, 2018, with team members Joe Chapman, Mike Adamson, Neville Sorrentino and Dion Anselm, in addition to Head Coach, Murrills.

Adamson, Sorrentino and Anselm each fell to World Ranked players from Canada, Cayman Islands and Bermuda in the individual event.

Chapman however, managed to reach the last 32 of the draw after convincingly winning his first match 3-0.

He then faced no.1 seed and World No.11, Diego Elias.

Chapman fought well but Elias’s extreme class proved too much for him. Elias then went on to win the gold medal with relative ease.

The doubles event which followed saw Chapman and Sorrentino representing the VI and were pitted against Bermuda.

A close match finished 2-0 to Bermuda.

In the team event—played in a 3-man team format—the VI came up against Colombia, Bermuda, Paraguay and Guyana.

While the VI did not produce a team win, Chapman managed to get two wins against the opposing no.1s from both Paraguay and Guyana.