Three of Guyana’s table tennis players are participating in the third annual WASA Table Tennis invitational tournament which continues today in Trinidad and Tobago.
National players Joel Alleyne, Shemar Britton and Natalie Cummings will participate in the team and singles tournament which ends November 9.
The WASA Table Tennis Invitational, which is held at the Water and Sewage Authority (WASA) Recreation Center in St. Joseph, was held only for local players in its inaugural year in 2015 but became an invitational event in the second year.
Previously a team tournament, individual singles competition has been added to this year’s competition.
The tournament will see players from across the region, specifically Guyana, Barbados, Dominica and the hosts competing for cash prizes with TT$44,000 in prizes up for grabs.
Carenage Blasters, the defending champions, will be looking to retain their title this year in the seven-club competition. Briton and Alleyne will play for the Gladiators while Cummings will play for the Invaders.
Alleyne and Britton are no strangers to the WASA Invitational as they played for the Gladiators in last year’s competition losing in the final to Carenage Blasters while this will be Cummings’ debut tournament.
Alleyne told Stabroek Sports that he was expecting stiff competition.
“We are expecting a lot more competition this year. Our (Gladiators) opening match is against a team with two of the top male Caribbean players and one of Guyana’s top female players (Cummings).
“The Trinidad players have also strengthened. We are still confident in our strengths as we have been putting in the work.”
Competing at the WASA Invitational allows for the talent of Guyana to be seen by outsiders and Alleyne says he sees it as a chance to showcase the level on table tennis in Guyana as well as a means for assessment of ability.
“Being able to compete at the WASA Invitation is an opportunity to show Trinidad and to some extent the Caribbean the level of table tennis in Guyana. The plan is to use this tournament to assess my level of table tennis because I am planning on playing some big tournaments next year,” Alleyne said
