Even though their luggage was lost on the way from Guatemala City, Saint Lucia’s table tennis team were happy with their performance at the ITTF-Americas Youth Championships. The four young players faced some of the best Under-15 and Under-19 talent in the Western Hemisphere.
Competing across teams, doubles, and singles events at the Domo Polideportivo, the team enjoyed a strong showing, while three individual players advanced from the group stage into the round of 32.
“Our players did well overall. Gaining team wins over Costa Rica and Mexico was huge for us,” said coach Chris Wells. The team returned home on Monday, but their bags were lost during the trip. “In the singles, Leshon, Manie, and Shatal advanced from the group stage.
“However, in the round of 32, Leshon faced the number one seed and lost. Shatal topped her group, and unfortunately she was one of four females that faced a player that topped their group. She lost to an Asian representing the US. That Asian finished second to her teammate. Manie lost to the number-one-ranked US junior.”
In junior girls singles, Shatal Charles topped her preliminary group. She rebounded from an opening 3-1 (11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9) loss to Kiara Tafur of Peru to grab a 3-0 (11-5, 11-4, 11-8) win over Chile’s Agustina Urrutia in Group 7. The result earned Charles a spot in the round of 32, where she was stopped 4-0 (11-5, 11-3, 11-4, 11-3) by Lilian Ma of the United States.
Charles also paired with Leshon Francis in the junior mixed doubles, falling 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-7) in the round of 32 to Ramon Vila and Arianna Estrella of the Dominican Republic.
Francis, meanwhile, competed in the cadet boys Under-15 division. After a 3-1 (11-6, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7) reversal to Peru’s Josue Portalatino, he defeated Juan Montalvo of Ecuador 3-1 (11-5, 11-6, 11-13, 12-10) to take second place in Group 8 and advance to the main draw. In the round of 32, Francis was eliminated 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-4) by Costa Rica’s Lucca Lobo.
In junior boys singles action, Manie Eleuthere progressed from Group 6 after recovering from a 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-4) opening loss to Keiji Takeda of Peru to defeat Ariel Bartels of Costa Rica 3-1 (11-7, 10-12, 11-3, 12-10). Eleuthere bowed out in the round of 32 against Anav Gupta of the United States in a 4-0 (11-4, 11-7, 11-3, 11-7) defeat.
Eleuthere and Francis also teamed up in the junior boys doubles, pushing Trinidad & Tobago pair Malik Gopaul and Josiah Joseph to five games before exiting 3-2 (7-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7) in the round of 32.
Khamari Harris completed the Saint Lucian contingent in Group 7 of the junior boys singles. Harris lost 3-1 (11-6, 11-6, 6-11, 11-1) to Ramon Vila of the Dominican Republic and 3-0 (11-5, 11-5, 11-5) to Guatemala’s Diego Suchite.
