Southpaw Shemar Britton is keen to capture his maiden senior national Table Tennis title at the upcoming national senior Table Tennis championships to be held from January 31 to February 2 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
Britton in 2018 – the last time the championships were held – secured a 2-0 lead in the final against Christopher Franklin but was unable to close out the match, eventually losing 3-2. That encounter is still fresh in Britton’s mind and he is keen to atone for his blunders.
“I’m very much looking forward to competing for the championship this year and hope the championship isn’t scheduled at a time that clashes with potential school commitments,” Britton told Stabroek Sport following the rescheduling of the tournament to the dates mentioned above. The former Caribbean Under – 21 champion added: “I’ve competed twice at nationals and both times I felt like I left something on the table.
“Last year (2018) particularly I had two championship points and let them slip so I feel that’s something I have to put right.”
Asked about the prospect of once again reaching Franklin – his mentor – in another final, Britton expressed confidence in his own ability but paid due respect to Franklin’s pedigree.
“I’m a very confident player so I always fancy my chances against any player locally once the match starts but Franklin is a very good player. He comes with tons of experience and is a two-time national champ for a reason.
“He has also taught me a lot throughout the years so any match up we have is sure to be a good one but I’m definitely confident I have what it takes to get over that hurdle should we meet in the final,” Britton told Stabroek Sport.
He noted, “I’ve only beaten Franklin once in competitive action but he’s only beaten me once as well so fans of the sport should look forward to the potential trilogy at this year’s championships.”
The young table tennis champ underscored the importance of the upcoming championships and likened it to an ideal preparatory event to get himself ready for other major assignments for the remainder of the year. Looking further afield, Britton described 2020 as potentially being a “big year” for him. His focus is centered around earning higher accolades at this year’s senior Caribbean championships, qualifying for the World Championship in Houston, Texas next year and pressing for a case to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, later this year.
Meanwhile, the hardworking Joel Alleyne, who is another title contender, is also placing high emphasis on capturing the coveted title.
“…given that the national championship is one of the most important tournaments locally, I will use this opportunity the best way I can in an effort to continue showcasing Guyana’s table tennis,” Alleyne, who spent a stint in China told Stabroek Sports.
“My goal is basically to win the national championships,” he confidently expressed while adding: “I believe all the players that will be playing bring some level of difficulty. Therefore, my focus would be to play every match to the best of my ability irrespective of who is on the other end of the table.”
Asked whether the outcome of the championships will be used as a marker to assess and measure his development, Alleyne, who has been a mainstay on representative national teams over the years, argued that while the tournament is important, the use of other indicators like a clear ranking system will give players a more precise indication of where they are.
