Ashley Khalil claims PanAm Masters silver in hard-fought final in Colombia

Guyana’s Ashley Khalil secured a silver medal at the PanAm Masters Squash Championships in Medellín, Colombia, after falling to Chile’s Anita Pinto in the women’s final on Sunday.

Khalil, who entered the championship match unbeaten, was defeated 3-1 by the tournament’s top seed. Pinto recovered from dropping the opening game to claim victory with scores of 5-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-7.

The Guyanese veteran started brightly, taking the first game and putting her opponent under pressure early on. However, Pinto gradually settled into the contest and capitalised on key moments in the remaining games to secure the title.

Reflecting on the result, Khalil admitted there was disappointment at narrowly missing out on the championship but remained encouraged by her overall performance throughout the tournament.

“I am a little disappointed, as I think any athlete would be after reaching a final and falling just short. However, I had my opportunities during the match and wasn’t able to execute as effectively as I would have liked at some key moments.

That’s something I will reflect on, learn from and continue working on as I prepare for future tournaments,” Khalil said.

The silver-medal finish capped an impressive campaign for Khalil, who advanced to the final without dropping a game and defeated opponents from the United States, Chile and Colombia along the way.

Khalil noted that the experience would serve as motivation moving forward.
“It’s back to the drawing board now.

There are always areas to improve, and this experience has given me valuable lessons that I can take into my training and upcoming competitions,” she stated.

Despite the disappointment of defeat in the final, Khalil remained proud of her achievement and the opportunity to represent Guyana on the continental stage.

“Overall, I’m grateful for the experience, proud to have represented Guyana and pleased to come away with a PanAm Masters silver medal,” she added.