June 21, 2013 at 3:34 p.m.
Reinforced squash squad gunning for podium places
Foster did not make the trip to the 2011 Games, which saw Bermuda finish just outside the podium in several events without managing to medal.
He will, however, be pushing for gold in this year’s event and is very pleased with how his men’s squad stacks up.
He told the Bermuda Sun: “I think we are in good shape to challenge for medals in all categories this year. The 2011 team was a very young squad who travelled predominantly to gain experience for the future. Both Chris Stout and Micah Franklin who were part of that team are included in the 2013 squad and have improved dramatically.
“With Micah now competing on the PSA World Tour and Nick Kyme’s experience we should have a great chance of reaching the later stages of the individuals.
“I also think that Stout and Noah Browne in the men’s doubles on home courts are going to be very tough to beat so we will be looking for great performances from them.”
Personally, Foster is confident, and with his home crowd behind him, aiming high: “The last time I represented Bermuda was in the 2010 Men’s Caribbean Team Championships and we won!
“I would love to have that feeling again and to do it on our home courts in front of everyone who supports us. I want to really push for a top spot in the singles and to make a valuable contribution in the team event to hopefully put Bermuda in with a chance of gold.
“The fact that we don’t have to travel, that we can select our strongest possible squad and that we can play and train in the heat on the event courts is all going to play in our favour.
“I personally love playing in front of the Bermuda crowd, who really know how to get behind you and in tough matches when you think you’ve got nothing left, having a big crowd cheering you on can really lift you to heights you didn’t think you could reach.”
Laura Robinson, who headlines the women’s team, is also confident about Bermuda’s chances at home:
“I feel very confident of our chances at medaling this year. In the 2011 Island Games we fielded a very young team and we’re hoping that the experience will pay off this year.
“Most of our players have now had Island Games experience and understand just how demanding this competition is.
“We have been training hard for this and I believe that we are ready for this competition.
“Having Bermuda host the Island Games will give our team a massive boost.
“Having played in the 2005 Island Games in Shetland and the 2011 Island Games in Isle of Wight, there is a definite advantage to hosting this competition.
“This is the biggest team we have been able to field in this competition and this will allow us to use different players in each event.
“We can then use each player’s strengths and ensure that each player gets adequate rest and recovery time. This is a big advantage for our team as we are used to the heat and humidity and how the courts play in the summer.”
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