PAUL Meusa is the new champion of the men’s singles category as he ploughed through the ranks in that category during Monday’s final round of games in the National Sports Commission-sponsored Independence Table Tennis tournament. Meusa fought his toughest battle early in the competition when he came up against Edinho Lewis in a marathon game which lasted five sets.
After giving up the first set he felt a sense of urgency and eventually picked up the slack which earned him a well deserved second set. Lewis, however, refused to be stifled and viciously fought back to win the third set.
It all went downhill for Lewis from that point as Meusa, armed with his superior skill, hammered into his opponent and took two straight sets to end the encounter 6-11, 11-9, 6-11, 12-10, 11-7. He went on to dispose of Orin Hickerson, who eliminated the defending champion Joel Alleyne in their first round game.
Muesa did not allow Hickerson a single win the three-setter which he won 12-10, 11-9, 12-10.
Johnathon Sankar was next up on Meusa’s list of targets as he was all that stood between the champion and his prize. Continuing in the same rampant fashion Meusa proved Sankar to be unworthy to hold the esteemed Champion title in their three-set fight to the finish which ended 13-11, 11-7, 11-5 in the former’s favour.
Joel Alleyne’s moment in the spotlight came when he defeated Edinho Lewis in the final of the ‘B’ Class Open category. After warming up in his three-set semi-final encounter with Dwayne Gibson Alleyne seemed somewhat winded as he lost the first set of the final game to Lewis 4-11.
He subsequently found his bearings and went on a campaign of retribution, blowing away his opponent in three straight sets 12-10, 11-9, 11-8.
Xen Goliah was the winner in the ‘C’ Class Open category after having defeated Samuel Fraser 12-10, 11-8, 11-5. The final of the Mixed Doubles match was contested between the teams which consisted of Trenace Lowe and Edinho Lewis and Adeille Rosheuvel and Joel Alleyne.
Lowe and Lewis overcame their opponents 11-7, 11-8, 11-6 while Nigel Bryan and Chelsea Edghill took third place after beating Natalie Cummings and Dwayne Gibson 11-3, 9-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-3.