GTTA names team for Commonwealth Games
The Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) has named the members of its male and female teams to participate in next month’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingha, United Kingdom.
According to information reaching this newspaper, the men’s team will be led by national champion Christopher Franklin with the other members being former Caribbean U21 champion Shemar Britton, rising star Jonathan Van Lange and Joel Alleyne.
The women’s team is being spearheaded by Olympian Chelsea Edghill with support from Natalie Cummings, Priscilla Greaves and Thuraia Thomas.
The GTTA selection committee recently held a two-day series of trial matches to assist the selection committee with naming the squad.
Two members of the team Franklin and Greaves failed to attend the trial matches while Miguel Wong, who was a member of the men’s team to the Caribbean TT championships in Cuba earlier this year lost his place after finishing last in both trials.
While Franklin as national champion and the country’s best player’s spot was secured as was Britton, the highest ranking male player locally, the other spots on the male team were up for grabs.
Van Lange, though, cemented his spot by placing second to Britton in both the men’s trials while Elishaba Johnson placed third in the first trials and fourth in the second.
Johnson could consider himself unlucky to make the cut after Alleyne placed third in the second and final trial to edge him out after having a slightly better performance in the other tournaments contested.
The GTTA is expected to release the composition of the team shortly.
The Commonwealth Games will run from July 28 to August 8.