Guyana’s Junior and Senior Table Tennis Players are set for a packed summer where the national racket wielders will participate in the Caribbean Mini and Pre – Cadet Championships and the 60th (senior) Caribbean Championships respectively.
Both Championships, according to the IFFT website are set to serve off from August 26 – 31 in the Dominican Republic (Mini and Pre-Cadet) and September 23 – 29 in Jamaica (Senior).
The sport’s world governing body also informed of the itinerary for the junior’s which will include the boys’ and girls’ team events along with the boys’ and girls’ singles, boys’ and girls’ doubles and mixed doubles categories.
The Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) has been proactive in shortlisting the team to participate in the mini and pre-cadet championships.
That, however, has been met with a few hindrances, mainly financially, since according to the Association’s President Godfrey Munroe, appeal for corporate support to ensure the team’s participation has been as anticipated.
Munroe, nonetheless, indicated that the Association will be working earnestly to ensure the junior’s participation. The squad features some of the brightest young talents in the country in Kaysan Ninvalle, Johnathan Van Lange, Jasmine Bilingy, Thuraira Thomas, Malachi Moore, and Neveah Clarkson.
The seniors, on the other hand, who have been quite busy in 2018 after participating in the CAC Qualifiers in Cuba, the Commonwealth Games in Australia and the South American Games in Bolivia, will also suit up for Guyana at the upcoming CAC games in Colombia before heading to Jamaica.
The team in that regard, especially in the men’s category may see the usual players being selected or the Association could decide to blood the likes of overseas Guyanese duo Matthew Khan (who placed fifth in this year’s GTTA national championships) or Paul David (who recently reached the quarterfinals of the US Open). Young guns Kyle Edghill and Elishaba Johnson may also come into the fray as selection options to expand the pool of Guyanese players who will get the experience of playing at the highest level.
A policy of continuity, however, may see Christopher Frankly, Shemar Britton, Nigel Bryan all retaining their places to partner Chelsea Edghill, Terence Lowe and Priscilla Greaves in the women’s category. The senior championship will see the region’s best trading serves in the men’s and women’s team category to go along with the singles, doubles and mixed events.
The male and female U21 categories will see Johnson, Greaves, and Edghill (Kyle) getting opportunities.
