The final day of the Caribbean Regional Table Tennis Federation (CRTTF) Youth Championships saw Saint Lucia secure a third bronze medal, capping off an impressive performance by the national team. Leshon Francis added to the tally on Saturday at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium in Wildey, Barbados. Earlier, Saint Lucia had claimed bronze in the Under-19 boys’ team event, while Francis and Shatal Charles earned another bronze in the mixed doubles.
Francis advanced to the Under-15 boys’ singles semifinals after a commanding 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-8) victory over Jamaica’s Ajani Spencer. However, he fell to Matthew Cao in the semifinals, 3-1 (13-11, 11-8, 11-6, 12-10). The title match featured two Puerto Rican players, while Francis shared third place with another Jamaican competitor.
In the Under-15 girls’ quarterfinals, Charles put up a strong fight before losing to Puerto Rico’s Aurora Bonome in four sets, 3-1 (8-11, 13-11, 11-3, 11-7).
With powerhouse teams like Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, and Guyana in contention, the competition was fiercely competitive. Despite the high level of play, Saint Lucia’s six-member team delivered an outstanding performance, securing three medals and seven awards in total. Francis was also part of the Under-19 squad, alongside Manie Eleuthere, Joshua Lubin, and Stephen Steele, who qualified for this year’s Pan American Games.
“All the players who we felt stood a chance if they fought hard returned with something,” said head coach Chris Wells, a seasoned administrator, former player, and coordinator of the National Table Tennis Association’s schools’ programme. “We went with six athletes and five returned with something.”
Out of 14 finals, only two featured competitors from the English-speaking Caribbean. Wells acknowledged that his team had exceeded expectations, especially considering they faced players already involved in professional European setups. He noted that without the presence of the higher-ranked teams, Saint Lucia’s medal haul could have been even greater.
“Had that been a CARIFTA table tennis tournament without Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico, we would have had more awards,” Wells explained. “Shatal would have won since she lost to Puerto Ricans, Leshon would have won. They would have won mixed doubles. We would have won boys’ teams. Just putting things into perspective. Our third-place finish was enough to meet the Pan Am Games as well as Pan Am Championships standard.”
