The Jamaica Star :: Sport :: Table tennis championship kicks off today

Left: Nigel Webb - reigning men's national champion. Right: Yvonne Foster - reigning women's national champion. - file photos

The Jamaica Table Tennis Association's (JTTA) annual national championships will be held over the next three days at the GC Foster College auditorium, beginning today at 9:30 a.m. Junior events and parish team events will be played today, senior events will start tomorrow with veteran events and continuation of senior events to the finals on Sunday.

Today's action serves off with play in the men's and women's parish team events at 10 a.m., followed by Under-10 and Under-15 boys' and girls' singles at 10:30. Under-13 boys' and girls' singles begin at noon with Under-18 boys' and girls' singles starting at 2 p.m. Junior (Under-18) boys' and girls' doubles commence at 3:30 p.m., followed by mixed doubles at 4:30. Team events, as well as Under-10 and Under-13 singles, will be played, while the finals of the other junior events are scheduled for Sunday.

Knockout format

Tomorrow, men's and women's open will start at 10 a.m., followed by rural men's and women's singles at 2 p.m., men's and women's doubles at 3 p.m. and mixed doubles at 4 p.m. The men's round of 32 will follow at 6 p.m. Group format will be used for the men's and women's open while knock-out format will be used for all other events.

Play begins on Sunday morning at 10 o'clock with the women's open quarter-finals, followed by the veterans Over-40 and Over-50 singles at 10:30 and 11, respectively. The men's round of 16 starts at 1 p.m., followed by the boys' and girls' under-15 finals at 2 p.m.; women's open semis at 2:30, men's open quarters and all junior doubles finals at 3 p.m., all senior doubles finals and both Under-18 finals at 4 p.m., men's open semis at 4:30, veterans and rural finals at 5 p.m., women's open final at 6 p.m and men's open final at 6:30 p.m.

St Andrew are defending champions for both the men's and women's parish team events while Nigel Webb and Yvonne Foster are defending national singles champions. Last year, Kane Watson and Dale Parham won the men's doubles and Peter Moo-Young and Foster, the mixed doubles. Marlon Chin won the veterans Over-40 and Lloyd Campbell the veterans Over-50. Alphanso Morris (Portland) and Shenique Clare (Clarendon) won the rural singles.