Gibran Hussain last Saturday defeated southpaw Rono Joseph to win the inaugural Berbice Table Tennis Open Championship at the Berbice High School auditorium, Queenstown New Amsterdam.
Hussain won the men’s singles final 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9 to cart off the Souvenir Ramdehol trophy and cash incentive.
The tournament, run under the auspices of the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) was organized by the Berbice Table Tennis Sub Association and sponsored overseas-based Guyanese and 2009 Hall of Fame Realtor Ramdehol, himself a former Berbice top player.
In the semi-finals Hussain defeated Stephen Sankar 13-11, 12-10, 11-5 while Joseph edged junior national player Bryton Murray 5-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-0 and 11-4.
In the quarter-finals Hussain beat Julian Haniff 3-1; Joseph got past another national junior player Joshua Lalbachan 3-2; Murray defeated Nicolas Lawrence 3-0 and Sankar upset veteran Brentnol Richards 3-2.
Lallbachan won the 18 years and under category by defeating rival Murray 11-7, 11-9, 11-9 in the final.
Lallbachan defeated Marlon Daniels 3-0 while Murray got past Haniff 3-1 in the semi finals. In the third place play-off Haniff defeated Daniels 3-0.
Lallbachan also won the 15 years and under category after defeating Lawrence 11-7, 13-11, 11-7 in the final.
In the semifinals Lallbachan defeated Jaden Conway 3-0 and Lawrence got past Sankar 3-0.
Lawrence scored the upset of the category when he defeated national player Murray 3-2 in a quarter-final clash.
In the third place play-off Sankar defeated Conway 3-0.
The 13 and under division was won by Joshua Butts who upset Conway 13-11, 4-11, 11-4, 5-11 and 11-8.
In the girls’ 15 years and under division Joylyn Conway won from Angeli Persaud.
The top three players in each division received trophies and cash incentives while fourth place winners received medals.
Lallbachan, by virtue of his two category wins was declared the most outstanding players and Sankar, the most improved player.
The most promising male player was Nicolas Lawrence while Angeli Persaud was adjudged the most promising female.
Denzil Fraser and Levi Nedd Jr., were adjudged the most disciplined players.
Petal Bennet was the recipient of a special prize from Ramdehol for being the only female participant in the open division.
GTTA president Godfrey Munroe, said afterwards that he was impressed with the talent on display adding that the turnout was also very encouraging.
Munroe lauded the Berbice Association for helping to run off the tournament and said the GTTA intends to visit the sub associations more regularly and to lend assistance in the areas of coaching and equipment.
Ramdehol said he was pleasantly surprised by the turnout. “When I thought about and planned the tournament I did not know what to expect.
I was taken by surprise by the turnout and also the immense talent. I hope it could be harnessed.
“I want to make sure that the present crop of players benefit from what I hadn’t the opportunity to have in my young days,” he said while promising to make the event an annual one.
He lauded former Berbice player Patrick Narine, who also lives in the USA for assisting with sponsorship.
