Former Caribbean Table Tennis champion, Chelsea Edghill is still contemplating the level of her participation in upcoming international events in 2021 due to the continued threats of COVID-19.
The young athlete, who is currently in Portugal, representing the Lusitania de Lourosa FC Table Tennis club, revealed to Stabroek Sport that a return to top-level tennis would invoke a satisfying emotion. However, she noted that her immediate focus surrounds her assignments in her Portuguese outfit.
“My focus for 2021 firstly is to stay healthy in order to continue the league and to play at a high level. As it pertains to competing [internationally], I’m not sure due to Covid-19, but surely it would be great to return to playing the pro-tours and also the World Championships,” the Caribbean under – 13 and under-21 champion told this publication.
The 23-year-old, since her arrival on the European circuit, helped Lusitania de Lourosa FC to move from division two to one. In the process, she recorded 10 wins and three losses – the highest win percentage on her team. Her stint was then stymied by the outbreak of the pandemic which saw her being limited to home workouts due to social distancing regulations.
The Portugal first-division championships 2020/2021 eventually commenced in November 2020 where Edghill, the 2018 national Sportswoman-of-the-Year, made her division-one debut. But her club suffered a first-round defeat at the hands of CTM Mirandela in the opening round, falling 4-1 to CTM Mirandela who are the reigning league champions.
Nonetheless, she is taking the experience in stride to build her fledging pro career and is satisfied with her gains thus far.
“My performance so far in the league I would describe as good. I’m able to compete and learn from the matches that I’ve played thus far and to make changes where needed. The goal for this season is to continuously improve and to get stronger both physically and mentally and so far there’s been progress in that regard.
“I would not be satisfied until I’ve accomplished my goals. That being said, I’m somewhat satisfied with the progress I’ve made with the cards I’ve been dealt,” she noted.
Edghill is also eager to attract endorsements, as any professional athlete would, to cushion the journey.
“Getting endorsements is always a goal of mine since funding is very important for reaching to the highest level in the sport for both the athlete and the organisation and country they represent. At the moment, and for some time, I’ve been trying to garner endorsements but to no avail but I will keep trying.”
The year 2021, if all goes well, could see the Guyanese stretching herself to advance to the Olympics, while her participation in the World Teams Table Tennis Championship with the female national team is also on the cards. That event, for which the female national team qualified for, was scheduled to be held in March 2020 in Busca, South Korea but was postponed due to the pandemic.
