Tough going for SVG’s TT team at Caribbean championships

St Vincent and the Grenadines’ table tennis players at the 57th Caribbean Championships in Martinique were only to gain much needed experience and nothing more.

In the teams’ competition, the Vincentians were beaten 3-0 by Barbados and 3-1 at the hands of host Martinique.{{more}}

Facing the Barbadians, team captain Damion Dublin was beaten by Kevin Fraley 12-10, 11-5, 11-9, while it was a similar case for Deighton King, who crashed to an 11-7, 11-1, 11-4 whipping from Mark Dowell and Romano Spencer lost to Aluko Bascombe 11-3, 11-4, 8-11, 11-6.

The Vincentians fared slightly better versus Martinique, but also on the losing end.

Dublin was the only one to win a match, when he ousted Samuel Delepine 4-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-2, 11-7; but Nicolas Poiret creamed off Spencer 11-7, 11-6, 11-7.

Likewise, Poiret handed Dublin an 8-11, 11-6, 11-1, 11-6 downing and Fabrice Elle de Cosaque disposed of King, 11-8, 11-4, 12-10.

St Vincent and the Grenadines’ lone representative in the men’s Under-21, Deighton King, returned a creditable effort against Tritan Matthews of St Lucia 11-9, 6-11, 11-5, 11-8, but fought French Guiana’s Dominique Banai 11-7, 11-9, 11-9, in a relatively close contest.

Meanwhile, Joseph Carrington who, apart from being the St Vincent and the Grenadines coach, contested the Masters’ segment, lost out to Andre Freeman of St Kitts and Nevis and Clifton Lewis of Dominica. On both occasions, Carrington fell 3-0.

In the Open Singles, the tale was similar.

Dublin suffered 3-0 losses to Ritchie Palton of French Guiana, Curtis Humphrey of Trinidad and Tobago and Desmond Boney of Dominica.

So too did De Shong, who lost all three matches 3-0 to Alex Tertulien of French Guiana, Yuvraaj Dookeran of Trinidad and Tobago and Sigmar Carmelia of Curacao.

Spencer went under to Livan Martinez and Gulbert Letard of Cuba and French Guiana 3-0, respectively and lost to Clifton Lewis of Dominica 3-2.

And King was beaten 3-0 by Arun Roopnarine of Trinidad and Tobago and Devon Prince of Dominica and 3-2, when he engaged Ange Enel Lauranna of French Guiana.

The Vincentians’ exit in the Doubles also came in the first round of competition.

Spencer and deShong lost to the St Lucian pair of Omari Ferdinand and Celestin Samuel and Dublin and King were beaten by the combination of Arun Roopnarine and Aaron Wilson of Trinidad and Tobago.

St Vincent and the Grenadines placed 10th, with only Dominica and St Kitts and Nevis trailing them.

Cuba topped the medal count with eight gold, three silver and five bronze, a total of 16 medals. The Dominican Republic gathered 13 (one gold, six silver and six bronze) while Guadeloupe fetched one gold, Martinique – one silver and one bronze and French Guiana – one bronze.

Cuba pouched all but two of the titles, as the Spanish speaking Caribbean territory copped the teams (men and women), the men’s and women’s singles, the men’s and women’s doubles, the Under-21 male and the mixed doubles.

The Dominican Republic took the female Under-21 and Guadeloupe won the Over-45 Masters male open.(RT)