Former Under-21 Caribbean Table Tennis champion, Chelsea Edghill says her spirit has not been jolted by the postponement of the 2020 World teams table tennis championships in Busan, South Korea as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak.
Edghill, who was expected to form part of the first female national team to attend the event, said she was eager to attend the games as part of her Olympic Qualification push but understood and agreed with the reason for its postponement.
She noted that the minor setback is just another day in the life of a pro athlete.
“I’m not disappointed. Your health comes first. The health of players, officials and anyone else who is participating in the tournament should be held in priority and if that’s the reason for postponing such a prestigious tournament then that’s the way to go,” Edghill, who is currently in Portugal, told Stabroek Sport.
The championships has been postponed to June, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) announced in a press release.
According to Edghill, Guyana’s qualification, – the first in the nation’s history – was an unprecedented feat and a “big deal.”
She also commended the efforts of her fellow female countrywomen for landing the spot.
Edghill said she is feverishly gunning a spot-on Guyana’s 2020 summer Olympic contingent and it would have been ideal to gain high-intensity match preparations in Busan before the Olympic qualifiers in Argentina during April 15-18.
However, she noted that she has always been ready and is still up for the challenge.
“I’m always in constant preparations for tournaments. And my current goal right now is to attend the Olympic qualifications and if the World Championships were held during the time it was scheduled for (22-29 March 2020)… it would have been an ideal event to compete at before the Olympic trials,” the Caribbean under-21 champ explained.
Edghill, who is Guyana’s reigning National Sports Commission (NSC) Senior Sportswoman-of-the-Year said that she is also remaining match ready for the 2020 senior Caribbean championships and the Latin America Championships.
She recently suited up for Guyana in the Portugal Open, in Lisbon in February.
