Britton qualifies for 2023 Pan American Games

Jun 20, 2023 Sports

Kaieteur Sports – Shamar Britton, the highest-ranked Table-Tennis player from Guyana, secured a crucial victory that earned him a spot in the 2023 Pan American Games Santiago, Chile. He exhibited remarkable performance during the recently concluded Pan Am Special Singles Qualification Event held in Lima, Peru. Britton made a stunning comeback on Saturday, defeating Julian Ramos from Colombia in the second stage of the knockout competition.

Shamar Britton at the Singles Qualification Event in Lima, Peru.

During the round of 16 qualification on Thursday, Britton received a bye but unfortunately lost to Julian Ramos in the subsequent round. However, Britton was able to bounce back in round two, of knockouts, by defeating DeAndre Calderon of St Lucia 4-1 to advance to the qualifying match. This win granted him the opportunity to face Ramos for a second time. He again faced Ramos, who took him to the brink, requiring a match point at 10-9 in the seventh set. Britton prevailed with a forehand loop in the backhand of Ramos and fell to his knees in a release of emotions.

Following his victory over his arch-rival Ramos, Britton was filled with joy. He attributed his success to his parents, coaches, GTTA president, and his faith, stating, “I would like to express my gratitude to God, who continues to bless me in countless ways. I also want to thank my parents, Dawn Dowridge Britton and Basil Britton, for always believing in me.”

“A special thanks goes to GTTA President Godfrey Munroe for providing me with the opportunity to compete here. Additionally, I am grateful to my coaches, Idi Lewis, Sydney Christopher, Aaron Edwards, and Alexandre Gomes, who have helped me prepare for these qualifiers.”

The Table Tennis prodigy will now shift attention to preparation and participation in the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, El Salvador, from June 23.

In addition to Britton’s qualification, Tyrese Knights from Barbados also secured a place in the games. While Olympian Chelsea Edghill narrowly missed out on qualification after a hard-fought final knock-out clash on Sunday against Paraguay’s Ovelar Lucero, which ended in a 4-3 defeat after a closely contested match. In the second round, Edghill also suffered another loss, this time to Nathaly Paredes from Ecuador with a score of 4-0. However, she made an impressive comeback in the second round, defeating Gabriela Suarez from El Salvador by a score of 4-0 to set up the crucial clash. Unfortunately, in the opening round of the Knockout Stage, she fell to Maria Maldonado of Peru by a narrow margin of 4-3.

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