…at Independence Table Tennis Tourney
Trenace Lowe and Nigel Bryan were adjudged the most outstanding performers at this year’s Ministry of Sports and National Sports Commission (NSC) Independence Table Tennis Tournament which concluded yesterday with the presentation of prizes at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
Lowe won seven titles in the event while Bryan walked away with five overall. The female racket wielder won the girls under-18 title in front of Adeille Rosheuvel, Akiecia Nedd and Chelsea Edghill and then returned to sweep through the women’s singles title with Jody-Ann Blake, Edghill and Nedd finishing in that order.
She eventually toppled Bryan to win the 21 years and under open title while Joel Alleyne and Denzel Duff rounded off the top four players in that group. Lowe also won four doubles titles; the girls doubles with Nedd, the mixed senior and junior doubles titles with Bryan and the women’s doubles with Edghill.
Bryan on the other hand, apart from two titles which he secured with Lowe, took home three more titles with only one being individual. He won the boys 18 and under with Denzel Hopkinson second, Brandon Baldie third and Denzel Duff fourth.
He also teamed up with Joel Alleyne to win the men’s doubles and then with Hopkinson for the boys doubles title.
Only Alleyne and Edghill won more than one title. Alleyne took home the men’s singles with Hewley Griffith second, Bryan third and Edinho Lewis fourth. Edghill claimed the girls 13 years and under title.
Other winners in the tournament were Khalil Ninvalle, Priscilla Greaves, Elishaba Johnson, Jamaal Duff, Stephan Patoir, Adeille Rosheuvel, Nedd and Hopkinson.
The most improved players in the tournament were Akiecia Nedd and Joel Alleyne.
Making some brief remarks at the simple ceremony was Minister of Sports Dr Frank Anthony who lauded the players for their achievements in the tournament while also throwing out a challenge to the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA).
Minister Anthony said that for far too long the sport has been played mostly in Georgetown and he urged the GTTA to devise some programmes where they could attract players from the outer regions.
He added that this is the only way players would be drawn to the sport of table tennis. He said also that the best way to start is by focusing at developing the sport from the school level.
A pledge was made by the sports minister to assist from his ministry’s limited resources to make this a reality.
Director of Sports Neil Kumar was also present and he joined in congratulating the winners and guaranteed the NSC’s support to the tournament for years to come.
