By Royston Alkins
Junior sensation Jonathan Van Lange of the Titans Table Tennis Club, mopped up his third junior national title for 2019 after he won the boys under – 13 title in the 2019 Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) National Mini and Pre-Cadet Championships at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH).
Van Lange in March copped both the boys under – 15 and 18 titles at the GTTA’s junior nationals. Yesterday, the 12-year-old added to his already impressive year by accounting for his sparring mate Krystian Sahadeo in the final 11-1, 11-6, 13-11 to walk away with the crown.
Van Lange in the semis defeated another club mate of his – Dhanesh Persaud – 11-4, 11-9, 11-8 while Sahadeo who continues to elevate his game, got to the final with an 11-9, 11-6, 11-9 win over Colin Wong.
Meanwhile, golden girl Jasmine Billingy who is sponsored by Car Care, clinched her second title of the championships by taking the girls’ under – 13 top prize.
Billingy, who wears a championship swagger, got past the swiftly developing Samara Sukhai 11-3, 11-3, 11-9 in the final. Sukhai, in the semis, defeated Akira Watson while Billingy got her way with Tatyana Mohamed 11-9, 11-5, 11-9.
In the final event of the day, the impressionable Malachi Moore captured the boys’ under-11 title by downing Ebo McNeil in the final.
McNeil, who had his moments, led the first game 9-6 before Moore pounced on several opportunities to win the game 11-9.
Moore, who turns out for the Malteenoes Sports Club, continued to be tested by the Lindener McNeil but fought him off to take the next two sets 13-11, 11-8 to secure his crown. The championship continues today where the under-15 and 18 players go up against each other.
