Blown Overcomes Fantastic Warriors in Exciting KPMG Squash Final

Blown overcame Fantastic Warriors recently in an exciting final of the 24th KPMG Squash League at the Liguanea Club in New Kingston. Blown was crowned champion for the first time in the league.

Blown lost the first game between Anthony Mahfood and Fantastic Warriors’ Nabeel Jawad in a four setter with scores of 21/16, 5/21, 10/21 and 16/21. Mahfood looked winded and made some simple mistakes.

Blown’s captain Jake Mahfood entered the box with Fantastic Warriors’ captain Stewart Maxwell who was immediately on the defense. Mahfood proved too strong, too skillful, too energetic and accurate for Maxwell who kept chasing the ball on the way to losing the game. The scores were 21/15, 21/15, 21/14. That win tied the match one all to set up an even more exciting third match to decide the final.

Andrew Bicknell was clinical against Andre Sewell, to take the decider in straight sets after posting scores of 21/15, 21/20, 21/14. Sewell was all over the court but could not match the skill of Bicknell who was clinical with his ball placement.

“It was a very competitive final. The semi final went down one love and the final went down one love – two first games that we have ever been down. I have to thank my team mates for their support. Andrew Bicknell has been phenomenal the whole tournament, he hasn’t lost a match. I don’t even think that he has dropped a game. The coaching, the aspect of the team working together was phenomenal in the final and the semi final cause both competitors were unbelievable – Saints and Fantastic Warriors” said Mahfood.

Regarding the win he said “Its fantastic. It’s a great tournament. It’s been a phenomenal tournament and we look forward to next year to defend our title.”

Mahfood copped the coveted MVP award. “I would share that with my team, without them I don’t think I would win.” Fraser McConnell was the other member of the Blown team.

Maxwell of beaten finalist Fantastic Warriors said “we knew coming into the final that this was a team of youngsters with skill so we always knew that it was going to be a challenge but we put up the best fight that we could. Nabeel Jawad was able to won our first match and then myself and Andre Sewell – we put up the best fight that we could.”

He credited the wining team “simply put its a different level of squash, not only their youth but their skill for instance Jake Mahfood has the full package, skill placement of shot and fitness. Anthony Bicknell who won the last match against Swell, despite Andre’s fitness and excellent gets, just again his (Bicknell) control, his placement of the ball that you could see Andre who is a 19-minute 5K runner – and he would have obviously shown his skill and his fitness, even he was out of breadth. When you have superior player whose placements shots – we like to say a better player will give you a guided tour of the four corners of the court and that’s exactly what happened.” Maxwell said that they were however happy to be in the final and hope to be one place better next year.

Tarun Handa, KPMG’s senior partner had high praises for the league. “The quality of the people who organize it, the quality of the demographic that plays the league, the quality of the organization and generally the quality of the sport. It matches our core values as an organization, integrity, excellence, teamwork together for better, so we look forward to constantly affirm those values through the squash games.”

KPMG has multiple connections to the game as staff members and their family members play the sport and represent Jamaica at various levels including regionally and internationally.

Karen Anderson, president of Jamaica Squash was pleased. “I think it was a fantastic event. This year we had 16 teams again. We had four ten-year olds who played and even one lady who has never played squash in her entire life – she had taken up the sport three months ago and she played a match here and it drove her to try and continue to improve, so to me those are the highlights of the event.”

She also said that the league was extremely important to the game in Jamaica especially due to its longevity. Anderson credited title sponsor KPMG for sticking with the sport for such a long time and thanked new hydration sponsor WATA for coming on board this year.