Fri | Dec 12, 2025

25th KPMG Squash League set to serve off next Tuesday

Published:Saturday | February 22, 2025 | 12:09 AM
Karen Anderson (second right), president of the Jamaica Squash Association, points to KPMG’s sponsorship contribution towards the 25th KPMG Squash League. Al Johnson (right), partner at KPMG, presented the cheque for $550,000. Also in photograph are Dami
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Karen Anderson (second right), president of the Jamaica Squash Association, points to KPMG’s sponsorship contribution towards the 25th KPMG Squash League. Al Johnson (right), partner at KPMG, presented the cheque for $550,000. Also in photograph are Damion Reid (left) – partner at KPMG and Nathlee Boreland (second left) – tournament director. The sponsorship presentation was made at the launch of the competition on Thursday night at the Liguanea Club.

The Jamaica Squash Association (JSA) and KPMG joined forces for the 25th time to launch the long-running KPMG League at the Liguanea Club in New Kingston on Thursday night.

The league will serve off next Tuesday at the same venue and is scheduled to end on April 4. There are 16 teams in the league with each team having four members including one reserve player.

The launch included a parade of the teams in their branded gear, and there was an air of expectation for a very competitive league which will include defending champions Blown and runners-up Fantastic Warriors.

Stewart Maxwell, captain of the Fantastic Warriors, said that the team has been preparing well and was ready to get in the box against its competitors.

“Yes, we are ready. We have a slight adjustment in personnel this year, so we’ll see what we can do, and we’re excited to start up next week,” Maxwell said.

President of the JSA, Karen Anderson, laid out the plans for the competition.

“We’re excited about the direction we’re going with KPMG. It’s a unique tournament and we’re always finding innovative ways to make it interesting. We’re trying to use this year to computerise the system for the teams so that they can log in their information as soon as they finish. So that’s one unique perspective that we’re trying to work on and just some different things that some people probably wouldn’t notice, so we’re very excited about it,” Anderson said.

Anderson explained the handicap system that the league runs on.

“The uniqueness of the league is that it’s a handicap tournament, so we give those that may not be quite as skilled an opportunity to win against a better skilled player. So that is what makes it so interesting, and why people come back again and again to play the tournament.

“It levels the playing field, it gives everyone the opportunity, especially the underdog, to try and win and that, for us, is key. The underdog gets an opportunity to play against some of these better players who they would never normally play against because of the different skill levels. And sometimes they do win which makes it exciting, so we’re very thrilled about that,” said Anderson.

Title sponsor KPMG was represented by Al Johnson who endorsed the league while promising they would be around for the long haul. “It’s really the youth. You see that you are able to make a contribution to their development and you really see where you are making an impact in a space. In Jamaica squash is growing from strength to strength. We are having an impact on the lives of these young people and they are growing into becoming adult competitors. We have been here 25 years and we don’t see us leaving any time soon,” Johnson said.