The Saint Lucia table tennis team has concluded its campaign in the Under-19 boys’ team event at the Pan American Youth Championships in Santiago, Dominican Republic, exiting the tournament without a win.
Competing in Group 4 at the Predio Ferial Parque Independencia, the quartet of Joshua Lubin, Manie Eleuthere, Leshon Francis, and Stephen Steele faced tough losses against Colombia, Paraguay and the Dominican Republic.
The team’s struggles began on the opening day against Paraguay. While Leshon Francis secured the sole victory with a 3-2 win (11-9, 5-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-5) over Yuichi Amarilla, teammates Joshua Lubin and Manie Eleuthere fell in their matches.
Lubin was beaten by Axel Bertolo 3:0 (11:3, 11:3, 11:7) and Manie Eleuthere lost to Ivan Pastore 3:0 (8:11, 11:7, 11:6,11:13, 11:8). In the reverse singles, Lubin lost 3:0 to Pastore (12:10, 11:8, 10:12, 11:5).
The trend continued on the second day against the Dominican Republic, where the team was swept 3-0. Eleuthere fell 3:1 to Rafael Cabrera (11:3, 6:11, 11:8, 11:7). Lubin was taken down by Ramon Vila, 3:1 (11:4, 6:11, 11:8, 11:7), and Stephen Steele was swept by Yoel Mendoza 3:0 (11:5, 11:4, 11:6).
In their final group match against Colombia, the Saint Lucians were again unable to secure a team win. Eleuthere managed to take a game off Juan Castano but ultimately lost 3-1. Lubin was bested by Sebastian Bedoya (11:6, 11:7, 11:7). Eleuthere lost to Castano 11:1, 11:9, 9:11, 11:4 and Francis was beaten 3:1 by Camilio Ramirez (4:11, 12:10, 11:7, 11:7).
Drawn against Ecuador in the positional playoffs, Saint Lucia lost 3:1. Francis was again the sole winner, playing at number three. He cast Ibarra Henry aside 3:0 (11:8, 11:8, 11:9). Eleuthere lost 3:1 to Boris Villavicencio (11:1, 11:6, 8:11, 11:6). Lubin lost 3:0 to Joshua Robayo (11:8, 11:5, 11:8). And in reverse singles, Robayo overcame Eleuthere 3:0 (11:8, 14:12, 11:2).
The competition continues on Thursday with individual events. Saint Lucia will be represented across several categories:
- Under-15 Girls’ Singles: Shatal Charles will face opponents from Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
- Under-15 Boys’ Singles: Leshon Francis will play against competitors from Puerto Rico, Mexico and Canada.
- Under-19 Boys’ Singles: Manie Eleuthere, Joshua Lubin, and Stephen Steele will begin their campaigns against opponents from the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Argentina, respectively.
The seedings reflect the challenge of the competition for the Saint Lucians:
- The U19 boys’ team is ranked 16th out of 16.
- In doubles, the pairs of Francis/Charles (U15 Mixed, 21st/23), Eleuthere/Lubin (U19 Boys, 31st/33), and Steele/Francis (U19 Boys, 32nd/33) face uphill battles.
- In singles, Leshon Francis is seeded 22nd in the U15 boys’ draw, while Shatal Charles is 25th in the U15 girls’. For the U19 boys, Manie Eleuthere is seeded 41st, Joshua Lubin 48th, and Stephen Steele is unranked in the field of 63.
