Alli pinning hopes on Fernandes
...for Commonwealth medal
By Michael DaSilva
Stabroek News
July 19, 2002
Guyana Squash Association (GSA) president, Khalil Alli, is pinning his hopes on local squash 'Queen' Nicolette Fernandes to secure a Commonwealth Games medal in Manchester, England. The games get underway on July 25.
Speaking to Stabroek Sport on Wednesday night, Alli said he thinks the three players - Fernandes, Luke Fraser and Regan Pollard - going to the games, chances on medaling are very good.
"The reports I've been getting about Nicolette (Fernandes) is that she is doing very well with the training that Neil Harvey has set out for her. He has organised some superb competitors for her to play against. One being the number four lady player in the world. I can't remember her name right now, but the news I got is that Nicolette got three points off of her including the first point of the match". Alli proudly stated.
Continuing, Alli said "from reports, after she got the first point she said she got this thing made, but overall she is enjoying the training and with that in mind, going into the games, we are expecting good things from her".
According to Alli, the number four ranked lady is from England and there is every possibility that she will be competing at the Commonwealth Games.
Alli said Fraser has had some good results in the Caribbean recently, while Pollard who had lost to Robert Fernandes in the quarter-final round of the National Squash Championships at the Georgetown Club last month, has been putting in a lot of work...."and looking at him in training and playing with the guys, he is looking very good. A lot fitter than he was at the last tournament and even the Georgetown Open" Alli opined.
"So we are expecting good things from them and hoping for the best. Like I said our main hope is Nicolette", stated Alli.
Alli is of the opinion that Fernandes has outgrown the Caribbean level of the sport "I think Nicolette has outgrown the Caribbean competition at the moment. I think she has even outgrown the North American competition also, because as you know, she got to the top of the US and Canadian junior nationals, so there is not much more she can do", Alli stated.
"She now has to set her sights on the pinnacle in Europe, and we wish her well, and what ever support we can give to her, we'll give. Obviously she has a great opportunity presented to her in the form of Neil Harvey and the doors he can open for her, so hopefully great things are going to come out of that" Alli concluded.
Harvey who is coach to the world's number one men's player, Peter Nicole, was contracted to take Fernandes through her paces over the past month.