2020 National Junior Table Tennis Championships…
By Timothy Jaikarran
Based on the results of the 2020 National Junior Table Tennis Championships which ended last week at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, the Titans Table Tennis Club — operating from the Red Cross Building in Kingston, and being coached by the capable Dwain Dick — dominated the proceedings to underscore their superiority over the local table tennis fraternity.
Crystal Melville and Thuraia Thomas, the respective U-18 and U-15 Champions
The competition was dominated by Jonathan Van Lange in the 15-years-and-under boys, and U18 men’s singles categories, and by Crystal Melville and Thuraia Thomas in the 18-years-and-under women’s, and U15 girls’ singles.
When Melville and Thomas were pitted against each other in the 18-years-and-under category, Melville won the matchup 3-2. However, in the U15 girls’ contest, Thomas won her category 3-2.
In the Men’s U18 category, Van Lange blew away Kaysan Ninvalle 3-1, and clean swept the U15 category 3-0.
Deeply satisfied with the performance of his charges, Titans Coach Dwayne Dick is predicting greater achievements for this club in the future. Speaking with this publication, Dick said, “Well, I am very elated for them. This is just a reflection of the level of the work that the club has put in; it just goes to show that hard work pays off.
Titans Table Tennis Club Coach Dwain Dick
“In terms of Jonathan, he is a very smart player. He plays cricket as well, and that makes him very multi-talented. He is experienced, and has great mental composure, and that is why he came out on top (against Ninvalle),” Dick declared.
Dick also declared that the future for Van Lange and other club members is totally left up to the Guyana Table Tennis Association, because, as a club, the Titans can do only so much within its capacity.
Dick, further, is encouraging youths to join the Titans, saying it is within the club’s capacity to produce top players for the country.
“Our club has been in existence since 2011, and from then to now, more than 75% of the national team has been (derived) from the Titans Table Tennis Club. Our club has a structured programme, and we work with all ages. We take players from as young as 5 years old; we look at the long-term and holistic development of our players.
“It goes to show that while everyone is complaining that they don’t have the funds, we having been making things work with our system, and investing in our players.”
