… Billingy cops Mini-Cadet gold medal

JASMINE Billingy emerged as the 2019 Girls’ 11-year-and-under (Mini-Cadet) national champion, when she battled past all opponents yesterday, on the opening day of the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) National Mini- and Pre-Cadet TT Championships, at Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Billingy a tenacious hardworking and exceptional talent was outstanding in the round-robin finals played between herself, Akira Watson, Samara Sukhai and Quavana Torrington.

The nine-year-old overcame the challenges of Watson, who finished second with an aggregate of one defeat and two wins, and Sukhai who won the bronze medal.

Billingy, who will be one of Guyana’s selected athletes to the ITTF World Hopes Table Tennis training camp, will also lead Guyana’s charge at the Caribbean Pre-Cadet Table Tennis Championships scheduled for July 11-19 and 20-27 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

In the Boys’ Pre-Cadet (13-year-and-under division), the key favourite to take the title, national 15-and-under and 18-and-under Boys champion, Jonathan Van Lange, navigated his way safely in the group stages of the competition.

Van Lange’s main rivals Krystian Sahadeo, Dhanesh Persaud and Colin Wong were also unbeaten in the group stage.

Action continues tomorrow in the Pre-Cadet (Boys and Girls) and the Mini-Cadet (Boys).

Tomorrow, the GTTA 15-and-under and 18-and-under Open Junior Challenge will serve off from 10:00hrs at the same venue.