SHEMAR Britton stamped his authority and won the Guyana Table Tennis Association’s (GTTA) 2015 season opener by winning the Seniors Open Table Tennis Tournament that was played at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall last Sunday.

The tournament, which is the first of many planned by the GTTA for this year, attracted 24 players from around the country, including two female players, Kristie Lopes and Selenas Jackman.
In the final, Britton, the number two seed in the tournament overcame a tough Kyle Edghill to win the tournament at 11-8, 8-11, 14-12, 10-12, 11-3, 11-4 (4-2). Paul Meusa and Joel Alleyne shared the third position.
In the semi-finals Britton defeated number four seed Alleyne at 11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8 (4-2), and Edghill defeated Meusa the number three seed, 9-11, 11-9, 4-11, 12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 14-12 (4-3) – a match that went down to the wire.
In the quarterfinals, Edghill defeated the tournament’s number one seed Orin Hickerson at 10-12, 11-5, 11-7, 11-5 (4-1), Meusa stopped Colin France at 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-3, 11-5 (4-2), Alleyne spun past Jonathan Sankar at 11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5 (4-2) and Britton got the better of Elishaba Johnson at 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6 (4-2).
In the final 16, Hickerson got a bye into the quarterfinals, Edghill defeated Dwayne Gibson at 11-7, 11-8, 4-11, 11-8 (3-1), France defeated Xenophon Goliah at 11-8, 2-11, 13-15, 13-11, 11-6 (3-2), Meusa got a bye into the quarterfinals.
Alleyne also got a bye into the quarterfinals, Sankar defeated Remy Taitt at 11-5, 11-2, 11-5 (3-0), Devon Richmond lost to Johnson at 8-11, 7-11, 4-11 (0-3) and Britton got a bye to the quarterfinals.
The tournament was well organised and Britton collected a trophy and $12 000, Kyle Edghill collected a trophy and $8 000, and joint third-place players – Mesau and Allen – collected a trophy and $6 000 each.
All the quarterfinalists received $3 000 each.
Cash and trophies were donated by Jonathon Sankar, Orin Hickerson and GTTA president Godfrey Munroe.
Both Sankar and Hickerson are former national junior players who are currently based overseas.