Cayman’s squash team arrived home from the Island Games in Scotland Sunday night, tired from long and delayed flights, but proudly wearing their array of gold medals.
Five of the six team members flew back, welcomed by family and friends at the Owen Roberts International Airport following their impressive performances at the International Island Games in Orkney last week, where they won gold in the team event, the women’s, men’s and mixed doubles, and the women’s singles.
They won seven of the 37 medals that Cayman athletes earned across four sports – squash, gymnastics, swimming and sailing – in the games, played 12-18 July.
Cameron Stafford, who returned with three gold medals around his neck, told the Compass shortly after the team’s plane touched down from Miami on the final leg of their long journey from Orkney, that the players had “worked hard” to achieve their wins, “especially in the doubles and in the team [events].
“It was unfortunate I just missed out on the bronze [in the men’s singles], but you take it as a learning experience, and I’m glad the team came out with the majority of the gold,” he added. “We’re happy that we accomplished what we came there to do.”
The Cayman squash team were the defending champions on the courts, despite last playing in the Island Games, in Gibraltar, six years ago, when they won gold in every squash competition. No squash was played at the 2023 games in Guernsey, and the 2021 games were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jade Pitcairn doubled her gold-medal tally from the Gibraltar games, earning four golds in Orkney last week – in women’s singles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles and the team event.
Speaking at the airport Saturday night, she said, “The last time we were at the Island Games was in 2019 and we did really well, so it was a goal of ours to push and get as many medals as possible this time.”
Short rest and then back to training
Next up for the players is the upcoming Pan-Am Games qualifiers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, so after a few days of rest, it’ll be back to training for them, Pitcairn said, adding that the Orkney games were “a good boost of confidence going into another tournament”.
Also arriving home Sunday were Michaela Janse van Rensburg, winner of bronze and gold medals; Jace Jervis, who also won a gold and a bronze; and Julian Jervis, with two golds. Emma Turnbull, who won two golds and a silver, remained in the UK for the time being.
Pitcairn, Turnbull and Janse van Rensburg swept the board in the women’s singles last week, winning gold, silver and bronze.
Cayman national team coach Sardar Khan, who also travelled to Orkney, said he was proud of the players’ efforts, noting that they had defended their titles as champions in the majority of the games, despite “being very tired because of the many matches played every day”.
This was Stafford’s fifth Island Games, so he said he knew what to expect, but described it as a “good tune-up” for the Pan-Am Games and Senior Caribbean Championships, which are the next events on the cards for him.
“So, it’s back to the drawing board and training. No rest for the wicked,” he said.
