National players Jamaali Homer and Elishaba Johnson covered themselves with glory when they won the under-13 girls and boys’ categories respectively as the annual National Sports Commission (NSC) table tennis tournament continued yesterday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
In the girls’ U-13 final, Homer of the Malteenoes Sports Club, defeated arch-rival and fellow Marian Academy student, Priscilla Greaves by three games to none winning 12-10, 11-9, 11-6.
In the boys’ under-13 category, Johnson, son of national coach Linden Johnson, defeated nine-year-old Tyriq Saunders of Rasville Table Tennis Club by a 3-0 margin.
Johnson won 11-4, 11-3 and 11-1. Saunders, an up and coming star, fought valiantly but to no avail against his more experienced opponent.
Greaves suffered a second defeat in as many finals when she lost to Chelsea Edghill, 3-0 in the final of the under-15 category.
Saunders, like Greaves, found winning a title a bit difficult to come by when he was edged out 3-2 by Jeremy Singh in the final of the boys’ U-11 category.
Nyron Bissou got the better of Leon O’Brian 11-2, 11-5 and 11-5 in the boys’ nine years and under category while Naveah Clarkston, coached by veteran Colin France, won the nine years and under girls’ title by defeating Abigail Martin 11-5, 11-7 and 11-7.
Clarkston made it two title wins when she defeated Salanas Jackman 11-3, 16-14, 6-11, 7-11 and 12-10 in the girls’ under-11 final.
Kyle Edghill won the boys under 15 final when he defeated Elishaba Johnson 11-4, 6-11, 11-8, 11-6. He had earlier survived a thrilling five setter against Berbician Joshua Lalbachan who had eliminated top seed Shemar Britton in the quarter finals.
In the junior boys’ doubles, Britton/Edghill defeated Kevon Corbin and Ryan Narine 11-7, 11-8 and 11-9 while Edghill/Homer defeated Greaves/Clarkston 11-5, 12-10 and 11-6 in the junior girls doubles final.
The junior mixed doubles final saw Edghill/Britton defeating Akeicia Nedd/Stefan Corlette 8-11, 11-9, 11-7 and 12-10.
