Nineteen of the most promising young players in the Americas are in Georgetown this week for the U23 High Performance Camp, organized by Panam Squash and Panam Sports, in partnership with the Guyana Squash Association, as part of the Road to Lima 2027 pathway.
From October 27 to 31, the National Squash Centre in Georgetown becomes a high-performance hub for our next generation. Also, the camp is backed by the Panam Sports Academy, and it is the second of three stages designed to prepare our young athletes for the Lima 2027 Pan American Games.
Ecuador’s María Emilia Falconí in action at the Pan American Championships in Asunción.
A Three-Stage Road to Lima 2027
The pathway started in 2025 with a first camp in Asunción, Paraguay. Now, Georgetown hosts the intensive development and match-simulation stage. Finally, a last preparation phase is planned for Asunción in 2027, just before the Pan American Games in Lima.
Selection followed clear criteria. First, U23 athletes already qualified for Lima 2027 were given priority. Then came U23 players from the Asunción 2026 qualifying event, based on their final standings. In addition, local Guyanese athletes join the group.
Barbados’ Darien Benn, one of the athletes in Georgetown.
The Athletes at the U23 High Performance Camp
Specifically, these are the 19 players taking part: Argentina: Candela Bernard · Barbados: Darien Benn · Bolivia: Andrea Fuertes · Chile: Camila Needham · Dominican Republic: Jesús Nino Peña · Ecuador: María Emilia Falconi · El Salvador: Miguel Ángel Orellana · Guatemala: Karen Barrera, Tabita Gaitán and Darlyn Sandoval · Guyana: Egan Bulkan, Kirsten Gomes, Kaylee Lowe and Nicholas Verwey · Mexico: Ana Karen Botello · Paraguay: Damián Casarino and Fiorella Gatti · Peru: Thiago Cabrejos · St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Jayden George.
Indeed, many of them already know high-level competition. For example, Tabita Gaitán and Darlyn Sandoval reached the women’s doubles quarterfinals at the Pan American Championships in Asunción this year. Damián Casarino, Fiorella Gatti and Thiago Cabrejos also reached the doubles quarterfinals there. Meanwhile, Cabrejos and Darien Benn compete in U.S. college squash for Drexel University. Moreover, Fiorella Gatti won the women’s singles gold at the Junior Pan American Games Asunción 2025, coached by Esteban Casarino.
Guatemala’s Tabita Gaitán and Darlyn Sandoval.
A Coaching Team With World-Class Experience
Throughout the week, the athletes work with a three-member technical team:
- Esteban Casarino (Paraguay), Camp Director and World Squash Level 2 Tutor. He was Paraguay’s No.1 from 1992 to 2003 and won several medals at the Pan American and South American Games.
- Martin Knight (Colombia/New Zealand), Head Coach. A former world No.38, he has led the Colombian national team since 2017.
- Nicolette Fernandes (Guyana), Local High-Performance Coach. A former world No.19, she won the women’s World Masters title in 2022 and 2024.
Esteban Casarino, Camp Director and former Paraguay No.1.
Inside the U23 High Performance Camp Program
Overall, the camp is built around five focus areas: technical and tactical development, physical and mental preparation, individual performance assessment, coach development, and capacity building for athletes, coaches and national federations.
In particular, each day combines on-court training and match simulation with physical conditioning. Players also receive medical and performance assessments, recovery strategies and video analysis.
At the same time, Martin Knight leads a session on the path from junior to adult squash. Esteban Casarino moderates an exchange of experiences between coaches. Meanwhile, Nicolette Fernandes covers warm-up, cool-down, hydration and nutrition.
Martin Knight, Colombia’s national coach since 2017, is the camp’s Head Coach.
Furthermore, the National Squash Centre has five courts, including three new singles courts built to international standards, as well as space for medical evaluations.
Guyana’s Nicolette Fernandes, Local High-Performance Coach at the camp.
A Legacy Beyond the Court
However, the goal goes beyond one week of training. We want better-prepared athletes, more effective coaches and stronger high-performance programs across the Americas. Therefore, coaches will take new tools back to their national programs. In addition, videos and training materials from the camp may support future Panam Sports Academy courses.
For us at Panam Squash, the U23 High Performance Camp is a clear investment in the future. Some of these players could be on court in Lima in 2027, and they will carry the experience of Georgetown with them. You can check their latest results in our 2026 Pan American Championships rankings, and read the official announcement on the Panam Sports website.
Peru’s Thiago Cabrejos, part of the U23 group in Guyana.
Thank you to the Guyana Squash Association for hosting us, and good luck to all our athletes and coaches this week in Georgetown!
