TT women grab bronze medal in Caribbean t-tennis

TRINIDAD and Tobago women yesterday earned a bronze medal at the Caribean Senior Table Tennis Championships currently underway in Kingston, Jamaica. The team comprising France-based Rae-Ann Chung, Aleena Edwards and Shelly-Ann Parris were already assured of a medal going into yesterday’s semi-final against the highly touted Dominican Republic. But despite a brave showing by Chung who beat Olga Villa 11-6, 12-10, 12-10, TT went down 1-3 at the University of Science and Technology. Edwards lost 1-11, 3-11, 2-11 to Wu Xue, a Chinese born naturalised Dominican Republic player; Parris lost to Joheny Valdez 9-11, 8-11, 6-11; and Chung went under to Xue 6-11, 4-11, 2-11. In a telephone interview yesterday from Jamaica, Stanley Hunte, president of the Table Tennis Federation, said the TT girls were up against it from the start but gave a good account of themselves nevertheless.

He said Wu Xue was a silver medallist at the recent Pan American Games and is definitely a top player in her own class. He thought that once she was taken care off, TT would have advanced to the final. Earlier the TT women had beaten Guyana 3-2 but lost 2-3 to Venezuela. However according to Hunte, Chung did herself proud with sterling victories against Venezuela’s top two players whipping Arasme at 6, 6 and 7; and Mata 11-9, 14-16, 11-9, 11-5. Hunte said the men were playing for fifth last night and up to press time held a 2-0 lead against Guyana with Reeza Burke and Anthony Brown registering victories. Curtis Humphries was leading in the other match. He said France-based Dexter St Louis was unbeaten in the tournament so far and has enhanced his credentials as a favourite for the men’s singles crown. “St Louis has been absolutely brilliant so far in the championships. Also Anthony Brown was instrumental in our victory against Jamaica who had a very strong team comprising three-time singles champion Stephen Hylton, No 14 ranked English-based Darren Blake and top promising young player Nigel Wedd,” said Hunte yesterday. He said St Louis’ match against Pan Am gold medallist Lin Xue was one of the matches of the tournament and endeared the Jamaican crowd to the TT team. Today the doubles tournament gets underway with St Louis and Brown in the men’s competition while St Louis teams up with Chung in the mixed category.