IN another intense five-set match, St Stanislaus College’s Elishaba Johnson put up a tough fight as he went down 2-3 against Shemar Britton of Queen’s College, when the two players,went head-to-head in the final of the Under-18 Open singles title of the Digicel Inter-School Table Tennis Championships which concluded last evening at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. 

Britton claimed the Under-18 title after wins of the Novices, Under-11, Under-13, and Under-15 singles titles which were earlier won by Gavin Mangroo, Tyriq Saunders, Jamal Butts and Kyle Edghill, respectively.
Saunders, who hails from the North Georgetown Primary, won the Under-11 title after he took out Radha Krishna Primary’s Terrence Raush 9-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-5, while Mangroo played to a come-from-behind victory against Jonathan Findley as he won the Novice title 8-11, 12-14, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9.
In the Under-13 final Mae’s Jeremy Singh could not overcome Berbice’s Tutorial Academy’s Jamal Butts and lost 1-11, 8-11, 11-8, 9-11.
The easiest of the finals went to Mae’s Kyle Edghill who needed only three sets to take out Bartica Secondary’s Sheldon Atherly, winning 11-7, 11-8, 11-8.
The toughest win of the day, without a doubt, went to Britton who was made to work for his win by a determined Johnson.
Playing in the last match of the championships, Britton and Johnson gave a fitting climax to the tournament events, which spanned the past four days.
The pair commanded the full attention of the sprinkling of spectators, who were at the edge of their seats as the pair traded points.
With screaming supporters on both sides, a high-spirited Britton took an early lead when he captured the first set 11-8, but Johnson was not done yet and came out to take the next set 13-11.
Johnson entered the third set obviously looking for another win and as he climbed to a 5-1 lead many thought he could, but Britton cleaned up his act and increased the pressure on Johnson, whose anxiety increased and he only managed another two points before the set went to Britton 11-7.
Entering the next set much calmer, Johnson was able to hold it together and Britton found it hard to get one past Johnson who won 11-6.
Down to the decisive fifth set, Johnson could not avoid being anxious, and despite an early advantage was unable to convert to a win, becoming increasingly tense as Britton began to close the gap, with the game 12-12. Britton won another two easy points to win the set and the match.
Winners of the competition were last evening presented their trophies at a modest presentation ceremony that featured a speech by Digicel representative Gavin Hope who applauded the support of the parents.

(By Tamica Garnett)