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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/08/table-tennis-team-1024x767.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-4543" /><figcaption>Tsenaye, Liana, Olivia and Neveah are pictured in this 2017 photo. The girls are part of the national squad. </figcaption></figure>
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<p>A national squad will represent Jamaica in the Caribbean
Region Table Tennis Federation (CRTTF) n the Caribbean Mini-Cadet (U-11) and
pre-Cadet (U-13) Table Tennis Championship, which will be held in Santo
Domingo, Dominican Republic, August 21st – 26th, 2019.</p>
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<p>Set to depart on Monday, August 19, eleven players will
compete in the Under 13 and Under 11 categories against teams from Guyana,
Barbados, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago and other countries.</p>
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<p>The Under 13 players are Azizi Johnson, Matthew Fung,
Rasheed Clarke and Jayden Ebanks for the Boys Team while the Girls are Tsenaye
Lewis, Olivia Petrekin, Liana Campbell and Nevaeh Scott. Under 11 players are
Gari Wythe, Nickoy Smith and one girl, Kira Scott.</p>
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<p>These members qualified for the national team following
trials held in June and have been preparing since then. Under the coaching of
Sandra Riettie and Dale Parham, both certified by the International Table
Tennis Federation, the team has the potential to perform well in this
competition.</p>
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<p>&nbsp;“Many of the players have developed strong skills and
experience since 2016 because of exposure to regional tournaments held in
Jamaica, Guyana, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. This group of pre-cadets has
been training consistently and we expect good results,” said Godfrey Lothian,
president of the Table Tennis Jamaica (TTJ).</p>
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<p>Some of the players – Tsenaye Lewis, Gari Wythe
participated in the 2019 Caribbean Junior and Cadet Championships in Dominican
Republic this past April 12 - 17, while Tsenaye Lewis was part of the team
which represented Jamaica at the Latin American Cadet Championship &nbsp;held
July 15 – 20 in Colombia.&nbsp; </p>
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<p>“In spite of the fact that we are going, this is a smaller
team than which qualified, as Table Tennis Jamaica was just not able to fund
the trips. Families have underwritten the costs while several fund raising
efforts were undertaken. We are very appreciative of Optical Solutions
International Limited which has again covered the cost of the gear.&nbsp; Real,
tangible support is needed to for a sustainable programme,” Mr. Lothian said.</p>
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<p>The team is short of approximately one million dollars to
cover the costs of lodging, meals and incidentals.</p>
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<p>“Traveling abroad to play is not a luxury, it is an
essential part of gaining exposure as a way of raising the standard of play and
inspiring the athletes to aim higher. We have potential Olympians among this
crop, but they will never be all they can be if we do not support them with the
right funding, training and exposure,” Mr. Lothian appealed.</p>
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<p>Companies and persons wishing to offer support to the team
can contact Table Tennis at <a href="mailto:tabletennisja@gmail.com">tabletennisja@gmail.com</a>
or 616-9825.</p>
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