Britton looking for Gold at Caribbean C/ships - Urges athletes to practice social distancing

Britton looking for Gold at Caribbean C/ships – Urges athletes to practice social distancing

Apr 19, 2020 Sports

By Calvin Chapman

Caribbean under-21 silver and senior bronze medalist, Shemar Britton, during a recent interview with Kaieteur Sport, has decreed that his next goal will be to serve up the gold medal at the regional championships.

Shemar Britton (left) serves during his semifinal win against Tyrese Knight of Barbados.

The 21-year-old student-athlete is a first year law student at the University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine campus in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) but he is at home currently, doing his classes online during this coronavirus pandemic lockdown.
This racket wielder is arguably one Guyana’s brightest table tennis prodigies and after impressive performances when the Caribbean Table Tennis Championships was held here in Guyana last year, the young man believes that it is now time he goes all the way in the battle of the best of the best in the region.
Besides his exploits in the Caribbean Championships last year, Britton had a successful run in the Twin Island Republic’s Super Singles Invitational tournament December, last. It was Britton’s first win in that competition that saw some top players not only from T&T but also from the region participating and he believed it was the precursor of an amazing 2020 season.
Britton losing to Christopher Franklin in Guyana’s Senior Championship in February was an indication of the fierce rivalry among the members of the national men’s team who were bound for Cuba for the regional championships that would’ve concluded on Monday last had it not been for the deadly coronavirus, which is said to have started from the Chinese Wuhan Province, and making its way to the Caribbean.
In addition, the Guyanese were also set to participate in the Olympic Qualifiers in Argentina later this month which has also been postponed along with the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Britton detailed that an extra year of preparation will augur well for his development before going to the Olympic qualifiers, but contended that he needs to stay put and will not go outdoors until the pandemic is brought under control. He posited that, “I am a young player with still much more to learn and I am committed to learning. I would love to get out and do some work on my game but I am staying put. Many persons are still going out unnecessarily although health officials have warned against it. We need to team up against this virus and stamp it out.”
“Right now my advice to all athletes is to not only maintain your diet but modify it as well since you won’t be as active as before. Everyone is talking about exercising in the confines of your home but there is only so much you can do. So, it’s important to watch what you put into your body. The last thing you want to do is come out of the lockdown fat.”