CAC Senior Table Tennis Championships 2023: GTTA President, players contented with medal haul

Besides securing a spot in the Caribbean and Central American (CAC) Games, Guyana’s men’s and women’s table tennis teams are currently on a high, having finished in the top three at the recently concluded Caribbean Regional Table Tennis Federation’s (CRTTF) Caribbean Senior Championships.
Both teams ensured a bronze medal would stay on Guyana’s shores, having missed out in the semifinals on Saturday last.
Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) President Godfrey Munroe has expressed contentment with the accomplishments of the teams over the past week, and has praised the efforts of the young campaigners.
“I think, ‘Yes’,” Munroe responded to the question of whether he is contented with Guyana’s performance.

He reasoned, “It’s in context too. While we know there’s a lot of work to do to get to that level where Cuba is – because you had in the qualification event Venezuela, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and those teams – we were able to do it.
“In the Caribbean Championships also you had Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic with their strong teams, and we were still able to maintain that [medaling], again whilst transitioning. I think it’s all positives,” he declared.
“This was premised also on a transition that we’re having with the young players. Typically, you would have a dip when you’re trying to transition younger players with older players, but I think the young lions came through. Young Jonathan, Elishaba, Shemar played exceptionally well. We had a great performance against Dominican Republic, and it just shows (that), with much more investment, getting our players to high-yield centres, what can happen for us; and we’ll be pushing in that direction,” Munroe went on to add.
Both teams acknowledged that their victories were hard-fought, but pointed out other notable accomplishments on the road to their bronze medals.
“Every year, we try to make podium, especially in the team events. It’s always good to put Guyana on the map in table tennis. You know, this tournament was a very tough one, and to finish in the top three, it’s always a good feeling and a good accomplishment; and I think it’s testament to the many years’ work and planning for the women’s team. I couldn’t be more proud of the girls’ performance,” Chelsea Edghill OLY, said about the women’s team’s achievement.
Shemar Britton shared this about the Men’s team: “It was a very tough competition. We had three world class teams in Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Those are the teams we call the cream of the crop in the Caribbean, and for the men’s team especially, it was a hurdle to finally beat one of them, and it was a tremendous achievement to overcome the Dominican Republic in the quarterfinals.”
With the CAC Senior Table Tennis Championships done and dusted, the GTTA now turns attention to the Caribbean Junior Championships, also being played at the National Gymnasium.