Kyle Chin and Craig Mair win first All Jamaica Masters Squash titles

Jamaica’s squash fraternity packed Liguanea Club on Saturday for the closing matches of the first All Jamaica Masters Squash Championships, where the Over-40 and Over-50 finals gave spectators a demanding finish to the tournament.

Both contests featured extended exchanges, sharp shot selection and the kind of mental and physical discipline expected at the masters level. By the end of play, Kyle Chin had taken the Over-40 championship, while Craig Mair secured the Over-50 title.

The Over-50 decider brought together top seed Gerry Wright and fourth seed Mair in a tight battle that kept the crowd engaged. Wright claimed the opening game 11-9, but Mair answered strongly and won the next two games 11-5 and 11-3 to complete a 2-1 comeback victory.

After a brief pause, number one seed Jerazeno Bell and second seed Chin stepped on court for the much-anticipated Over-40 final. There was added edge to the meeting, as Chin’s Badman Fu team had previously been beaten by Bell’s Saints in the KPMG League.

Bell, known for his steady and measured style, imposed himself early. He made Chin cover the court, mixed patience with forceful hitting, and took the first game 11-7.

Chin responded with a more focused second game, pushing Bell into longer work for each point. He levelled the match at one game apiece, with the reported final match scores listing that game at 11-8.

The third game turned into the longest stretch of the championship. Neither player could separate at 11-all, and the game had to be settled by a two-point margin. Bell eventually edged it 16-14 after the contest had moved well beyond regulation. During that game, with Bell ahead 5-4, he was struck on the elbow and later appeared to be tiring.

Chin found greater control in the fourth game through his attacking play. He opened with the first four points before Bell replied with three in a row. Bell kept trying to close the gap, but mistakes at important moments stopped him from taking the lead. As both players slowed the pace between rallies to recover, Chin stayed strong enough to pull the match level again, with the final score recorded at 13-11.

The fifth game left both the match and the first Over-40 trophy hanging on one final push. Chin scored first, but Bell continued to work his way back into rallies with intelligent play. Chin held on and finished the deciding game 11-9, winning the championship match 3-2 with scores of 7-11, 11-8, 14-16, 13-11, 11-9.

“It was a hard, hard, hard match. And honestly, me and Jerry should have played the finals of the league (KPMG League). We got to have our finals, finally. And it was so hard fought. Like really, every game went down to the wire. And the last game, I don’t think either of us had anything left,” said Chin.

“Honestly, if I’m being very honest, I’m the huge underdog, Jerry’s the huge favourite. I expected him to win, but I just knew I was going to come in here and fight. I had a game plan, I had a vision, and I came in, tried my best to execute.

“I feel amazing. I feel so, so good, man. Like I said, I knew I had a chance, but I thought it would be a slim chance to beat Jerry. So it was just about determination, just about fighting to the end,” Chin added.

Bell praised Chin after the result, saying the better player on the night had won.

“It was a good game. It was unpredictable. Kyle is a pretty good player. He’s not a player to take for granted. I think we kind of had some good rallies. Both of us had our good sessions and a couple of good games and bad games, but at the end of it, I think he had a better night, and congratulations to Kyle,” Bell said.

The first All Jamaica Masters Squash Championship was backed by Legend Beer. After the finals at Liguanea Club in New Kingston on May 16, 2026, Craig Mair received the Over-50 winner’s trophy from Karen Anderson, president of Jamaica Squash.