PASEA ESTATE, Tortola, Virgin Islands — The British Virgin Islands is preparing to welcome nearly 250 athletes, coaches, officials and supporters next month as it hosts the prestigious Nagico and Interpath Junior Caribbean Squash Championships from July 10 to 16, 2026.
The tournament, which will be staged at the Tortola Sports Club, is regarded as the premier junior squash competition in the Caribbean and is expected to attract approximately 150 of the region’s top young players.
According to the BVI Squash Rackets Association (BSRA), participating territories will include Barbados, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Virgin Islands.
In addition to the athletes, organizers expect approximately 20 coaches and team managers, along with another 80 supporters, making the event one of the largest sports tourism activities to be hosted in the territory this year.
“On top of all the players, there will be approximately another 20 coaches and managers, along with a further 80 supporters making the trip over to cheer on their players,” the association stated. “This makes the championships one of the bigger events for sports tourism in the Virgin Islands.”
The return of the championships carries added significance for the host nation. When the Virgin Islands last hosted the event in 2024, local players delivered a historic performance, capturing an unprecedented three gold medals. Before that breakthrough achievement, the territory had secured only one gold medal in the competition’s history, won by Joe Chapman in 2009.
National Squash Coach Adam Murrills said preparations have been intensive as the local team seeks to build on its recent success.
“Our junior team has been working really hard for the past few months in preparation for the championships,” Murrills said. “Having the event here on home soil once again definitely adds excitement and motivation for our players.”
He noted that participation in local junior squash programmes continues to grow, creating a stronger pipeline of talent for future competitions.
“Our junior programmes have been growing in size and the quality is ever improving,” Murrills added. “We feel well positioned to perform strongly and hopefully create another historic set of results.”
Murrills also expressed gratitude to title sponsors Nagico and Interpath, noting that hosting an event of this scale would not be possible without corporate and community support.
“Events of this magnitude couldn’t happen without the support of the community, our sponsors, and volunteers. We are extremely grateful for that support,” he said.
With regional bragging rights on the line and home-court advantage once again in their favour, the Virgin Islands’ junior squash players will be aiming to replicate — and perhaps surpass — their historic achievements of two years ago.