This year’s National Sports Commission (NSC) annual Mashramani Table Tennis tournament is set to heat up this week after some intense battle in the “C” and “B” Class Open and the Men and Women’s doubles on Sunday at the Cliff Anderson Sports hall.
The `C’ Class Open is at the semi-final with Gibran Hussein of Berbice set to take on Dwayne Gibson while Anthony Niles and Jody-Ann Blake will clash in the other semi-final.
Hussein advanced after easily defeating Joel Alleyne by three sets to one 17-15, 9-11, 11-7 and 13-11 while Gibson got past another Berbician Oliver Jaundoo in straight sets 11-7, 11-3 and 13-11.
Former national champion Jody-Ann Blake brushed aside Denzel Hopkinson (3-1) to meet the last four in the group winning 11-7, 5-11, 11-7 and 11-9.
The `B’ Class Open is at the last 16 stage with four players drawing byes and securing places in the quarter-finals.
Those players are Trenace Lowe, Blake, Nigel Bryan and Alleyne.
Gibson will face off with Orin Hickerson, Hewley Griffith will come up against Xenophen Goliath, Jaundoo will meet Niles and Hussein will oppose Marlon Washington.
In the Men’s Doubles the pair of Christopher Franklin and Donald Duff will meet Joel Alleyne and Darwin Walcott in semi-final one which will be contested today.
In the second semi-final the duo of Matthew Khan and Orin Hickerson will oppose Paul Meusa and Dillon Caesar.
Franklin and Duff earned their spot by defeating Dwayne Gibson and Samuel Fraser by three games to one winning 11-2, 2-11, 11-9, and 11-8 while Alleyne and Walcott gained a walk over from Nigel Bryan and Hopkinson.
The Women’s doubles final will pit the pair of Trenace Lowe and Adielle Rosheuvel against Natalie Cummings and Ambrose Thomas.
On Sunday, the “C” Class open semi finals, ”B” Class Open and the Senior Mixed Doubles will continue at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall starting from 10:00 hours.
Two hours later the Men’s and Women’s singles will commence at the same venue
The presentation of prizes will take place on March 4 starting from 16:00 hours at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.