Saint Lucia’s top table tennis player says he expects his second stint in Germany to result in a significant improvement in his game. DeAndre Calderon won five of his six weekend matches for TSV Neuried e.V. in the Oberliga Herren Bayern, taking his record to 9-3 in singles for the 2024-25 season, and giving him a major confidence boost.
The 20-year-old Castries Comprehensive Secondary School graduate swept his individual matchups against TV Boos 1924, beating Thomas Synkule 3-1 (11:5, 11:5, 9:11, 11:9) and Markus Bott 3-2 (10:12, 11:9, 1:11, 11:9, 11:8). He also swept his two games against SV Haiming, going 3-0 against Markus Vihl (11:9, 12:10, 12:10) and Thomas Erifiu (11:4, 11:5, 11:7). He split his fixtures against TSV Windsbach II, winning over Yevgeniy Christ 3-1 (11:8, 11:8, 3:11, 14:12) but losing 1-3 to Tobias Ehret (8:11, 6:11, 11:1, 7:11).
Ehret has one of the best records in the league, 7-1. Calderon, Saint Lucia’s back-to-back Junior Sportsman of the Year, is at 9-3 for the season. The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) champion has his team at the top of the league, albeit having played two more matches than several containers, including TV 1881 Altdorf in second.
Calderon detailed his progress over the past two months, explaining to St Lucia Times that his precise regime has been multifaceted, as he works with his coaches and teammates to ensure that his game is as complete as possible.
“My development as a table tennis athlete for 2025 so far can be broken down into key aspects of training, match performance, and physical conditioning,” said Calderon. “Given my current level as a table tennis athlete, my focus was mainly on these points.
“I’ve been working on refining my technique, ensuring stroke consistency, and improving shot quality. For backhand development, I am aiming to further enhance spin variation, control, and power with the Butterfly Dignics 09C on the backhand. My forehand aggression, I am trying to increase speed and placement efficiency, focusing on generating powerful topspin attacks.
“In terms of footwork and movement, my goal is to improve explosiveness and lateral movement, ensuring quicker recovery between strokes. I’ve also been working on match play and tactical awareness, competing in practice matches, and identifying strengths and weaknesses, while maintaining high fitness levels with targeted endurance, agility, and strength exercises.”
The young champion from Corinth, Gros Islet, said that in addition to matches and match simulation, he has been working to implement deeper strategic play, including serve variations, placement adjustments, and reading opponents. He has also been engaged in mental preparation, working on focus, composure, and resilience in high-pressure situations. League matches allow him to apply training improvements, evaluate his performance, and make final refinements.
“By the end of my first three months of 2025, I should see improvements in consistency, tactical intelligence, match endurance, and overall performance,” he said.
Calderon is expected to return to Saint Lucia sometime in April.
