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GTTA identifies squads for Caribbean Championships
– Final teams will be announced after assessments
Some of the best young table tennis players were recently identified for possible selection to Guyana’s representative teams for the Caribbean Table Tennis’ Pre-Cadets, Cadets and Junior Championships slated for Utuado, Puerto Rico.
The Pre-Cadet category includes players who are Under-13 years while the Cadets and Juniors take into consideration those who are Under-15 and 18 years respectively. The Caribbean Championships are set to start March 27 and end April 2.
Chelsea Edghill
Nigel Bryan
The Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) stated that most of the details for the final teams are completed but there are still some assessments to be done in some of the groups before the teams are firmly finalised for the tour.
“Given the nucleus of talent in some of the divisions, there is need to do further assessments; in this regard, the Mashramani competition and training among other factors will weigh heavily. The key focus is to have our best representative players,” the GTTA release stated.
The female players named in the U-10 Girls’ squad are Ikia Thompson, Anfernette Bowman, Senira Greene, Alyssa Austin, Tonia Pyle, Leonalla McDonald and Beyonce Roach. The U-10 Boys include Amit Mookram, Jeremy Singh, Dexter DeAnju, Khalil Ninvalle, Kekeem Wright and Shane Singh.
Guyana are the defending Caribbean Champions in the Boys’ U-10 category. Elishaba Johnson, Kyle Edghill and Rajiv Muneshwar had won that title but they are not eligible in that group this year. They made up the Boys’ U-13 squad.
However, the GTTA will make a decision this week on whether the still developing team would compete at the U-13 level. Jamaal Duff and Joseph Johnson are the others that made up the Boys U-13 nominees for selection.
Adielle Rosheuvel
Denzil Hopkinson
The Girls U-13 unit comprises Chelsea Edghill, Priscilla Greaves, Jamaali Homer, Olivia Weekes and Tiara Narine. “In this division, the players have basically named themselves and should represent our strongest gold medal chance,” the release said.
“While there is a nucleus of talent in this category and other categories whom we would have like to call to the national squad for training, working with the coaches and stronger players, time does not permit us,” it was further stated.
Denzel Duff, Stephen Patior, Jamaal Duff, Samuel Fraser, Sachin Panday, Sunil Logan, Stefan Corlette and Dillon Mahadeo got the nod for the squad in the Boys’ U-15 group with Akecia Nedd, Edghill, Akeila Wiltshire and Priscilla Greaves comprising the female U-15 nominees for selection.
“There is a nucleus of talent in the 15 years and under boys Division, we still have some final assessments with some of the players in deriving the final composition of this team in view of selecting the best candidates,” the preamble noted.
“Panday, and Jamaal Duff has shown immense improvement and has laid claim for their selection on this team, Denzil Duff is a sure starter on this squad,” it sustained, adding that the others are questionable due to unavoidable inactivity.
“Patior, Mahadeo and Fraser have had significant experience playing internationally but have had a low in their form as of recent due to studies and inactivity so we will look at [them] in the Mashramani tournament,” the GTTA statement said.
Adielle Rosheuvel, Ambrose Thomas, Chelsea Edghill, Akecia Nedd, Angela Rampersaud, Angelina Rampersaud and United States -based Saskie Chung were named for the U-18 Girls’ squad.
The preamble to their nomination stated that Rosheuvel, Thomas, Edghill and Nedd are among the strongest players in that division while the Rampersauds and Chung can get in on the experience from the overseas exposure. Nigel Bryan, Brandon Baldie, Denzil Hopkinson, Denzil Duff and US-based Brand Belle and Brandon Belle were named for the male U-18 team. The GTTA believes that this division is very strong given its composition.
“We are hoping to have the induction of some new talents into the team with (the Belles), who are two young talents competing in the United States and brothers of former national junior player Conan Belle,” the statement observed.
The GTTA has information that their levels are “fairly good”. It was stated that Idi Lewis and a few other players based in the US were mandated to “liaise, work (with) and assess the progress of the Belle brothers”.
The association believes that the Belle brothers will add some solidarity to the team once it is able to procure their services. The Caribbean Championships includes the Boys and Girls’ Teams, Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles competitions.
Hosts Puerto Rico, Barbados, Aruba, Jamaica, French Guiana, Saint Lucia Trinidad and Tobago and the Dominican Republic and are among the countries slated to participate at the region’s most prestigious youth table tennis contest. (Edison Jefford)
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