jul.25.2009




TRINIDAD and Tobago swept both team titles in the Caribbean Table Tennis Championships for the first time in 40 years and only the second time ever in French Guiana on Thursday night.

Trinidad and Tobago were last crowned champions way back in 1974 in the tournament which originated in '58.

The women had gone 31 years without success but got over the hurdle at home in 2004 and have now held the crown for the second year in succession.

The same four players - Edwards sisters, Aleena and Astra, 13-year-old Catherine Spicer and France-based Rheann Chung - who brought home the title last year, comprised the women's team again.

T&T scored 3-1 victories over all three opponents - Barbados, Guyana and hosts French Guiana.

The men's competition was closer as Barbados, Guyana and T&T all ended with four victories from the round-robin competition. T&T had the best average and were declared the champions ahead of their only conquerors, Guyana (3-2).

Led by the France-based Dexter St Louis, the outift which also contained Cutis Humphreys, Anson Wellington and Michael Nanton, accounted for Barbados and French Guiana 3-2 and whipped Aruba and St Lucia 3-1 and 3-0, respectively.

But the players had little time to celebrate as the individual events served off yesterday with all eyes on Chung.

The 23-year-old was the most successful player in last year's tournament in Jamaica as the former under-21 champ not only won her second singles crown, she also won doubles with Aleena - who was crowned national champ for the eighth time earlier this month - and mixed doubles with step-father St Louis. 

  Left-handed St Louis, this country's only male three-time Caribbean singles champ, is one of the favourites for the men's title.

In addition to the T&T players who were involved in the team events, Yuvraj Dookram, the national A2 champ, is competing in the open as well as under-21 singles.

The tournaments ends tonight.