By BVI Commonwealth Games Association
Squash players, Neville Sorrentino and Joe Chapman with Coach Adam Murrills on the first day of competition at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. Photo: BVICGA
The GC2018 competition schedule for the VI started on day one of the Commonwealth Games with Joe Chapman and Neville Sorrentino playing matches in the men’s Squash singles at the Oxenford Studios on April 5.
Joe Chapman (PSA world ranked #292) played with strength in his match against Farhan Zaman of Pakistan (PSA world ranked #87) to take it to four games but ultimately losing 11-6,11-13,11-4,11-6. “I feel good with how this match went,” said Joe. “Farhan is a great player who had a career ranking of 47 and who’s a really great shot maker. I was going toe-to-toe with him until the end and playing some of the best squash in my life especially considering everything that happened after the storm and the lack of squash facilities at home.
Neville Sorrentino competing in his first Commonwealth Games, was defeated by Tayyab Aslam of Pakistan 11-3, 11-4, 11-4. “It was a tough match and I was a bit nervous but I enjoyed it,” said Neville. “The result is what it should be but the game was played in good spirits and I’m just happy to be part of these Games and to have this experience of a lifetime.”
Joe and Neville will continue with matches in the Plate round which will be played on Friday, April 6. The two will then compete in the men’s doubles on Tuesday, April 10 when they come up against Declan James and James Willstrop representing England. The VI duo will meet the Pakistani players, Aslam and Zaman again in a doubles match on Thursday, April 11.
Joe and Neville trained almost daily in the 3 months prior to the Commonwealth Games and were coached by Adam Murrills.
Track and field competitions for the VI’s athletes will begin on Sunday, April 8 and continue through April 12.
The Games will be broadcast via Flow Sports Live and Flow’s mobile customers will also have live access via WiFi or Mobile Data to the Games via the Flow Sports 1 App. Live coverage on the Flow Sports Networks will start each evening at 7pm Eastern Caribbean Time and extend well into the late-night hours. Caribbean fans can also follow live Commonwealth Games events each morning, which is evening in Australia.
Supporters who want to follow the events and competition live must subtract 14 hours from the times scheduled on the official Gold Coast 2018 web site (www.gc2018.com).
Updates and photos will be posted regularly on the BVI Olympic Committee’s social media platforms of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and You Tube.
