Wong, Billingy, Van Lange shine at NSC TT tournament

Action in the MCYS/NSC/GTTA Annual Independence Table Tennis Tournament concluded at the National Gymnasium with the likes of Colin Wong, Malachi Moore, Jasmine Billingy, and Jonathan Van Lange winning in their respective categories.
Heading into the final day, all players were aiming to bring their best version of the game to the tournament. They had their game faces on, and only the best-of-the-best would emerge victorious.

Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle presents Jonathan Van Lange with a trophy

In fact, the most anticipated match-up saw the men’s singles players battle, with names such as Van Lange, Elishaba Johnson, Joel Alleyne, Miguel Wong, Orin Hickerson, Niran Bissu, Levi Percival, and Colin Wong participating.
This category was an absolute thriller. In one of the semi-final matches, Van Lange defeated Elishaba Johnson 11-8, 7-11, 9-11, 11-5, 14-12 (4-2), in a back-and-forth affair, with both players using every serve in the book to their advantage. It was a boost of confidence for Van Lange, as he booked his spot in the final. Alleyne, in the other semi-final, beat Bissu, managing to win four games to zero to book his spot in the final.
In the grand finale, it was Van Lange who added another title to his name, copping the men’s singles title with a 4-1 margin – 11-3, 4-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-9. Belying the scores, Alleyne challenged Van Lange and made him work hard for his victory.
In the Under-13 boys’ category, Moore defeated Ebo McNeil 9-11,12-10,13-11, 11-6 (3-1)
The Under-15 girls’ tournament saw Billingy defeating Akira Watson. The scores at the end of the 3-0 win were 11-8, 11-8, and 11-9.
The next encounter saw Colin Wong and McNeil fighting for the 15-years-and-under boys’ title. Colin Wong emerged was the last man standing as he won all three of his games.
In the Under-19 boys’ contest, Van Lange defeated Bissu 11-2, 11-5, and 11-7, and in the Under-19 girls’ tourney, Billingy defeated Watson 11-4, 11-3, 11-7.
For the B-Class Open, Van Lange defeated Colin Wong 8-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8.
The championships started on Friday, May 20, 2022 and concluded on Sunday, May 29, 2022.