Reigning Table Tennis Champion Calvin Lake tested by under-studies Andre and Angelissa Freeman

(Kevin Hope)

Sports Page—Friday 27th September 2013– Calvin Lake and Tariq Newman were both crowned the 2013 Senior and Junior Table Tennis champions in the annual SKNTTA Independence Open held at the St Peters’ Community Centre on Thursday, September 19.

Defending champion, Calvin Lake duly booked his place in the history of the SKNTTA Independence Open as winner of 3-consecutive Open Championships (2011-2013) but it was a much more testing encounter than many pundits may have predicted.

Coach Calvin as he is affectionately known, unseated Andre Freeman in a highly contested match 3-2 (11-8, 3-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9) through his 3rd ball attacking style of play. Andre a champion in his own right demonstrated to Coach Calvin that his reign is only transitory, the attendees gasped as Andre returned the ball from the four corners of the table with great confidence, he was the player in their hearts. However Calvin asserted his authority and earned the respect as the SKNTTA Independence Open No. 1.

Angelisa Freeman secured third place, but showed improvements in her game losing only marginally to Coach Calvin in the semis 3-1 (10-12, 15-13, 9-11).Long rallies were the order of proceedings as the elegant backhand play of Angelisa returned top spin after top spin from the racket of Calvin; the classic table tennis match was on view; the defender versus the attacker.

The event also showcased the developing junior table tennis talent in the Federation. The Junior Championship (Under 12 category) was played over two rounds, with Tariq Newman defeating Trehdel Lake 2-0 (11-7, 11-4) in the final match. Both athletes showed confidence around the board, with varying styles, from an offensive game played by Tariq to a more balanced approach by Trehdel.

The SKNTTA proposed events for the period October 2013 to March 2014 are:

– SKNTTA Community Coaching October 2013 – March 2014

– St Kitts and Nevis Table Tennis Business League, mid-October 2013

– SKNTTA Table Tennis Camp, mid-December 2013

– St Kitts and Nevis Junior Championship, mid-December 2013

The public and table tennis enthusiasts are encouraged to participate and support the initiatives. Interested persons can contact the association at skntta.dev@gmail.com.