The Guyana team participating in the 16th annual Cadet and Junior Caribbean Table Tennis Championships in San German, Puerto Rico have so far secured two bronze medals in the team events.
The boys’ 18 years and under team of Nigel Bryan, Brad Belle, Denzil Hopkinson and Denzel Duff lost to Caribbean powerhouses Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic by 0-3 margins but secured wins over Jamaica, Barbados, Aruba and St Maarten in the round robin competition.
Against Caribbean Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic the score line did not reflect the closeness of the games and the intense battles which could have gone either way.
Against Puerto Rico, Belle lost to Daniel Gonzalez 0-3 in close match, Bryan lost to Richard Pietri 1-3 and Hopkinson lost 2-3 to Brandon Echevarria.
Against the Dominican Republic the team went down 3-1 with the lone win coming from Belle who defeated chopper Geury Peguero 3-0.
However, Bryan lost to Juan Vila Jr., 1-3 while Hopkinson lost to Miguel Jimenez 2-3.
The team stormed back to defeat Jamaica 3-0 with Bryan, Belle and Duff picking up the wins to take the bronze medal.
The team had earlier defeated Barbados, Aruba and St Maarten by 3-0 margins.
Despite being undermanned by the absence of seasoned players Priscilla Greaves and Jamaali Homer due to the annual Common Entrance Examinations, the Guyana Girls Under-15 team placed third in the three team event.
The team was spearheaded by Junior Sportswoman of the Year and Caribbean Under-13 champion, Chelsea Edghill along with Olivia Weekes and Christie Lopes secured a bronze medal in the round robin final of the Girls 15 years and under team event.
Edghill secured the team’s lone win against the Dominican Republic by beating Karla Brito 3-0 but Weekes lost 0-3 to Kircia Diaz and the 10-year-old Lopes in her debut match lost 0-3 to o Ancalis Pichardo.
Against Puerto Rico, Edghill lost to Melanie Diaz 2-3 while Lopes lost to Adrianna Diaz and Weekes to Daniely Rios.
The Boys 15 years and under team comprising Caribbean cadet silver medalist Jamaal Duff, Joseph Johnson, Sunil Logan and Stephan Corlette did not have a good outing based on reports.
The team’s only win came against Barbados whom they defeated 3-2 and the suffered losses to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago by 3-0 margins. They also went under 1-3 to Jamaica.
The 18 and under girls were similarly undermanned with the absence of key players Ambrose Thomas, Akecia Nedd and Adielle Rosheuvel due to examinations.
Debutants Jewel Todd and Anna Joao in tandem with 2010 team title medalist US-based Saskeia Chung narrowly missed out on a bronze medal following their unexpected defeat to St. Maarten.
Meanwhile, the boys 18 years and under pair of Bryan and Hopkinson are through to the semi-finals of the doubles competition. The singles competition commenced yesterday and will end today.
The Guyana team is expected back tomorrow.
