Moo-Young, Foster seek to extend streak

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

The Jamaica Table Tennis Association's (JTTA) National Championships, to be staged over three days, will serve off today at the University of Technology (UTech).

Number one seed Peter Moo-Young will be going in search of his third consecutive national singles championship.

He is expected to receive a strong challenge from number two seed, Joseph Dibbs, who won the men's senior title in 2007. The competition will not be left up to these two persons alone, however, as Simon Tomlinson, Kane Watson and Emani McPherson who, along with Dibbs, form Jamaica's team to the Commonwealth Games, will be in the reckoning. Tomlinson actually won the most recent senior tournament locally.

Don-Walker Petinaud and 17-year-old Kareem Flowers, both juniors and part of the national squad, are also expected to offer strong competition, while three-time national champion, Christopher Marsh, and two-time national champion, Ludlow Bailey, will also feature in deciding the men's singles crown.

In the female equivalent, 17-year-old Yvonne Foster is seeking her sixth national title and fourth in a row. Her strongest challenge is expected to come form Shanique Clair of the University of the West Indies, Ashley Alexander, Kristen McKenzie and Johnnell Morris. Veteran Andrea Watson should also be in the reckoning.

In boys' under-18 competition, Kareem Flowers, the defending champion, is expected to win comfortably. He is the only national senior player who will be contesting the boys' under-18.

Easy winner

In girls' under-18, Foster is expected to come away an easy winner. Kristen McKenzie and Ashley Alexander are, however, expected to give her good competition.

Richardo Lee should win the rural men's singles, which does not feature the top players.

The men's and women's parish team's event will be contested on today's opening day. It is slated to serve off at 10 a.m.

Over the there days, other matches to be contested include the under-10 and the under-15 boys and girls singles; under-13 boys and girls singles; and the under-18 boys and girls singles. Boys' and girls' mixed doubles, men and women singles, mixed doubles and the veterans over 50 and 40 championships will also be contested.

The scheduled start time for the second and third day is 9 a.m. Matches will be decided in best-of-five competition, unless otherwise stated.