Trinidad and Tobago captured three of the four team titles when the team events of the eighth annual Pre-Cadet and Cadet Caribbean table tennis championships ended last night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
The Trinidadians won the U13 girls and boys’ categories and added the U11 boys’ team title. Guyana’s girls’ U11 team, spearheaded by Neveah Clarkston and Salanas Jackman, however, prevented the Trinidadians from making a clean sweep of the team titles by winning that division defeating the Trinidadians in a thrilling final round clash last night.
The Guyana U13 boys’ team of Miguel Wong, Jeremy Singh and Khalil Ninvalle was pipped by the Trinidadians in the battle for the team title the Trinidadians emerging champs by virtue of having a better ration despite losing to the Guyanese.
Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago along with Barbados ended on a three way tie and coach of the Guyana team Linden Johnson said the Guyanese were a bit unlucky as if the organizers had used the games won as against games lost formula the Guyanese would have emerged champions.
Last night Guyana’s Jackman won two games and Clarkston one in the girls’U11 final against the twin island republic team to give Guyana its only gold medal of the championships.
Jackman started the ball rolling by defeating Ackayla Lucas 11-6, 12-10, 10-12, 11-7 and Clarkston followed suit with a 13-11, 3-11, 9-11, 11-8, 14-12 win over Shurjah Welch.
But the Trinidadians bounced back through southpaw Shreya Maharaj who came from 1-2 down to defeat Abigail Martin 12-10, 9-11, 11-13, 11-6, 11-5 before Jackman returned to close out the tie with a 11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8 win over Welch.
In other results of the girls U11 category Guyana and Trinidad both defeated the Mixed Team by 3-2 margins.
The Guyana U11 A team ended a disappointing third in the five team event. After losing 0-3 to their B counterparts of Brandon Jaikarran, Kaysan Ninvalle and Yeudister Persaud on Saturday, they were left needing a victory against Trinidad last night but went under 1-3 with Nyron Bissu defeating Aaron Amoroso 3-0 as Trinidad’s Brandon Lee Young winning twice and Derron Douglas picking up the vital third game.
Douglas defeated Guyana Tyriq Saunders 3-2 while Lee Young defeated Terrence Rausch and Saunders by identical 3-0 scores.
Four teams Guyana one and two and Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados contested the girls’ U13 category with Guyana one losing 0-3 to Trinidad while five teams Guyana one and Two, Barbados, Trinidad and Aruba contested the boys’ U13 category.
