Daniel nets his first national TT singles title

Carlton Daniel netted his first national Table Tennis Singles title last Saturday evening at the AVESCO Club House.{{more}}

Daniel ousted Romano Spencer 4- 2, in the best of seven. Spencer won the first set 11-7, but Daniel rebounded to take the second and third at 11-5, 11-5. Not done, Spencer claimed the fourth set with an 11-2 win, but Daniel sealed the triumph, winning the crucial fifth and sixth sets, 11-6, 11-7.

For Daniel, it was a case of being motivated by the fact that he had never won the national singles titles, after being involved in Table Tennis for the past fifteen years.

Daniel, who was trained in Cuba, in Physical Education and Sports at the undergraduate level, with a major in Table Tennis, told SEARCHLIGHT that it was a personal delight for him, after having reached the semi-finals and finals before, but never having gone all the way.

Daniel’s top seed status came at the expense of former holder Robert Ballantyne, who was defeated by Spencer in their semi-final match up.

Spencer took out the seasoned Ballantyne 11-4, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9. Spencer, in the quarter-finals, had distanced Kendall Charles, 11-9, 11-5, 11-6, while Ballantyne had overpowered Khalique Bailey 11-6, 12-10, 11-6.

Both got to that phase with contrasting battles in the quarter-finals. Daniel cruised past Junior Byron- Cox, 11-1, 11-3, 11-5; Hunte met a stronger challenge from Desmond Shallow, but prevailed 11-7, 11-9, 15-17, 11-4.

But the night belonged to Daniel, as he earlier in the semi-finals beat Kamal Hunte, 3-2. Daniel won the first two sets 11-8, 11-8, but Hunte stormed back to level the match, with a two straight sets win at 11-5, 11-9. Daniel endured to win the fifth set 11-8.

Daniel and Ballantyne teamed up to win the Doubles over Khalique Bailey and Desmond Shallow, in a three sets to nil parade, 11-7, 11-6, 11-9.

Daniel, Ballantyne and Shallow, who formed the AVESCO team, took the team title, beating MV Strikers 3-0. The MV Strikers team consisted of Spencer, Hunte and Bailey.

In getting to the team finals, AVESCO downed Police 3-0; likewise, MV Strikers triumphed over Third Eye Security.