Guyana gained silver and two more bronze medals as the 54th Senior Caribbean table tennis championships ended in the Dominican Republic yesterday.
The silver medal was won by veteran player Colin France while the bronze medals were won by Paul David in the men’s singles and Chelsea Edghill in the Under-21 girls singles.
The Guyana women’s team had earlier won a silver medal in the team event where they reached the final before losing to the hosts while David and Nigel Bryan had won a bronze medal in the men’s doubles event.
Yesterday France, competing in the veteran’s 50 years and over event lost for the second successive year to former Caribbean men’s singles champion Raul Betancourt of Cuba.
Betancourt won 5-11, 11-9, 11-9, and 11-8.
France reached the finals after defeating Erick Van Veenendaal 11-6, 6-11, 11-5, 11-6 and Juan Santos of the Dominican Republic 11-9, 13-15, 11-4, 11-6 in the semi-finals.
Guyana’s other competitor in that category Ray `Copter’ Anderson was edged 3-2 by Guyana-born Teddy Matthews, who now resides and plays for St Lucia.
Matthews prevailed 9-11, 11-3, 8-11, 11-1, 11-4 before losing 5-11, 9-11, 5-11 to Betancourt in the semi final.
In the men’s singles competition only David and Bryan managed to advance from the group matches.
David was an easy 3-0 winner over Kareem Flowers of Jamaica and William Ramos of the Dominican Republic while Bryan also topped his group by beating Brandon Echevarria of Puerto Rico whom he defeated 12-10, 11-5, 7-11, 11-7 and Darius Decosse whom he defeated 11-4, 11-6, 11-1.
The other players Joel Alleyne and Paul Meusa failed to advance from their groups with Alleyne losing to Dexter St Louis and Aruba’s Andy Gomez and Meusa losing to Manuel Gomez and Aruba’s Mario Lobo.
Bryan, however, lost his round of 16 encounter to Trinidad’s Kane Watson 14-12, 12-10, 11-9 while David defeated Andres Bettances of the Dominican Republic 11-7, 4-11, 11-5, 11-5 and Dominican Republic junior player Isaac Vila 4-3 in the quarter-finals 12-10, 3-11, 11-7, 8-11, 9-11, 11-7 and 11-8.
He was stopped by Puerto Rico’s Hector Morales Berrios in the semi-final but the scores were not available up to press time.
In the women’s singles Lowe and Edghill were eliminated at the quarter final stage with Lowe losing 1-4 to Johenny Valdez 4-11, 7-11, 11-9, 7-1,6-11 and Edghill bowing out to Lineth E. Vila 11-8, 9-11, 8-11, 4-11, 12-10 and 7-11.
The two had earlier won their respective groups with Edghill beating Lizette Laboy Maldonando 10-12, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7 and 11-8 and Karla Brito 11-8, 11-5, 13-11 while Lowe defeated Britanny Joseph 11-9, 7-11, 11-3 11-7 and Jennifer Sanchez at 7, 8 and 8 before winning their round of 16 matches with Edghill beating Nicole Torres Diaz 5-11, 11-3, 6-11,11-6 and 11-7 and Lowe defeating Linda Partap Boodhoo at 5, 6 and 8.
The third female player Natalie Cummings qualified for the round of 16 by placing second in her group to Eva Brito but lost in the next round in five games 11-9, 10-12, 11-7, 7-11 and 5-11 to Katerine Montes De Oca.
In the boys’ U-21 singles Brad Belle was eliminated after placing third in his group after losing to Isaac Vila at 6,7 and 8 and to Brandon Echevarria 11-7, 9-11,7-11 and 8-11 but Bryan advanced after placing second in his group to Samuel Galvez whom he lost to at 6,7 and 7.
Bryan, however, was beaten in the next round by Manuel Ortiz Gomes at 9, 3 and 5.
In the U-21 girls’ singles Edghill won her group by beating Alexandra Ashli 11-1, 11-9, 11-6 and Yasiris Ortiz 12-10, 13-11, 6-11, 11-3 while Lowe also topped her group by defeating Maria Laboy Maldonado at 3, 6 and 4, Jennifer Sanchez at 10, 9 and 5 and Veronica Hernandez at 13, 8 and 9.
But while Lowe was upset by Lizette Laboy Maldonado 11-6, 7-11, 10-12 and 6-11 Edghill went on to beat Karla Brito at 3,5 before losing again to Lineth E. Vila 11-5, 9-11, 9-11, 6-11 in the semi-final.
