It was with an air of triumph and celebration that Tsenaye Lewis secured her first Jamaica singles title at the recent National Table Tennis Championships in Kingston. Alongside her sister, Gianna, the dynamic duo also showcased their exceptional talents, leaving an indelible mark on the tournament.
Over the course of three intense days of fierce competition, the Lewis sisters emerged as triumphant champions, collecting an impressive haul of 10 trophies across seven categories. Their remarkable achievements were a testament to their dedication, hard work, and unwavering commitment to their craft.
Tsenaye Lewis beat Keeara Whyte 11-8, 11-6, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6 to win the national women’s title. She further showcased her prowess by clinching first place in the Junior Mixed Doubles alongside Rasheed Clarke. She was also queen of the U19 women. Meanwhile, she and sister, Gianna, were also runners-up in the women’s doubles beaten 13-11, 11-9, 11-13, 13-11 to Liana Campbell and Keeara Whyte.
Her collaboration with Roberto 'Dino' Byles earned her a well-deserved second-place finish in the Mixed Doubles, while her participation in the winning St. Andrew parish team underscored her versatility. Additionally, Tsenaye's partnership with Gianna led them to a commendable second place in the Junior Girls Doubles.
The championship was a remarkable achievement for Tsenaye and her sisters' exceptional performances highlighted their commitment to continuous growth and learning within the sport.
"I am happy with my performance and excited about continuing to learn and grow in the sport. I look forward to putting in more work to get my game to the next level," an excited Tsenaye said afterwards.
Meanwhile, Gianna, reflecting on the achievements during the tournament, expressed her satisfaction despite facing some physical challenges. "It was a good tournament, although I wasn't feeling so well. I did my best and am happy that I was able to apply some of the skills I have been working on throughout the summer," she remarked.
The Lewis sisters embarked on their competitive journey seven years ago, representing Jamaica at the Caribbean Pre-Cadet Table Tennis Championship. Since then, they have showcased their talent on international stages in countries such as Cuba, Guyana, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic.
Their impressive track record includes title victories and defenses in various age categories at the Caribbean, national, and parish levels. Both Gianna and Tsenaye are also integral members of the Wolmer's Table Tennis team, which has clinched victory at the Inter-School Secondary Association's Table Tennis Championships on multiple occasions.
Meanwhile, Mark Phillips defeated Roberto Byles 11-8, 11-1, 13-11, 11-8 to claim the Men’s title.
Former national champion Kane Watson and partner Gari Whyte took the men’s doubles title defeating Byles and Alphanso Morris is a five-set thriller 6-11, 11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 11-6.
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JTTA National Junior and Senior Trials set for this weekend at National Arena
The Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA) National Junior and Senior Table Tennis trials will take place on November 16 and 17 at the National Arena in Kingston.
This weekend will see players in the Senior Male and Female and Under-15 Boys and Girls categories vying for places on the nation’s team to the 2025 Caribbean Table Tennis Championships.
Action on Saturday’s first day will see play going on from 9:00am-5:00pm with a lunch break at 1:30pm while, on Sunday, play will commence at 9:00am and end at 3:00pm with a lunch break the same time as the day before.
JTTA President Ingrid Graham spoke on what she expects during the weekend’s events.
“I’m expecting some upsets in the senior trials but, overall, I expect some great games throughout,” she said.
Trials for both Under-19 categories will take place in early December.
The 2025 Caribbean Regional Championships are scheduled for March 31-April 7 in Bridgetown, Barbados while the Caribbean Regional Youth Championships are set for April 8-13 in the same place.
Sponsors for this weekend’s trials include Insports, Sports Development Foundation, Jamaica Olympic Association, Western Sports, Mother’s and Auto Channel among others.
Watson, Whyte take singles titles at JTTA National Table Tennis Championships
Kane Watson and Keeara Whyte emerged as the respective Men’s and Women’s open singles champions at the 2024 Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA) National Senior and Junior Championships held from September 6-8 at the National Indoor Sports Center in Kingston.
Watson returned from retirement to claim his sixth national title by a score of 4-3 in a seven-game thriller over 2023 champion Mark Phillips.
Watson won the first three sets 11-7, 11-3 and 11-8 before Phillips rallied to win the next three sets 11-6, 11-5 and 11-9, setting up a decisive seventh set.
It was a close contest throughout but Watson held his nerve to emerge victorious by a score of 11 points to nine.
In the women’s singles final, Keara Whyte got the better of defending champion Tsenaye Lewis in a 4-0 straight-sets win.
Whyte won the first set comfortable 11-4 before two hard fought sets (11-9, 11-9) in the second and third.
The fourth set proved to be the most competitive with Lewis fighting to prolong proceedings but Whyte eventually prevailed 12-10 to secure the title.
Watson and singles semi-finalist Paulton Madden combined to win the men’s doubles title while sisters Tsenaye and Gianna Lewis took the women’s double crown.
As far as the juniors are concerned, the following were the respective age-group winners: Kaylor Dyer (U-9 and U-11 Girls), Shacoil Bird (U-9 Boys), Malone Bird (U-11 Boys), Kira Scott (U-13 and U-15 Girls), Ajani Spencer (U-13 Boys), Gmarco Smith (U-15 Boys), Keeara Whyte (U-19 Girls), Azizi Johnson (U-19 Boys).
Andrea Wadsworth and Phillip Drummond won the women’s and men’s Over-40 singles titles.
Kingston took the title as the top women’s parish team while St. Andrew took the men’s crown.
JTTA National Senior and Junior Table Tennis Championships set for September 6-8
From September 6 to September 8, Jamaica’s top table tennis players will descend upon the National Indoor Sports Center in Kingston for the 2024 Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA) National Senior and Junior Table Tennis Championships.
In what promises to be an unforgettable weekend of table tennis excitement, players will be competing in categories ranging from Under-9 Girls and Boys all the way up to the Men’s and Women’s Open categories.
“This will be the largest participation in over 20 years,” according to JTTA President Ingrid Graham.
She also noted that this will be the largest number of participants ever in both the Men’s Open and Under-19 sections.
These championships will also see Jamaican citizens overseas coming to the island to compete for the top spot in their respective categories.
“We have over 10 Jamaican citizens living in London, Canada and the USA coming over to participate,” Graham said.
Sponsors for the championships include OSIL, Western Sports, Graham International Consulting, SDF, JOA, Insport, Virginia Deer, Mother’s, Altamont Court Hotel, Auto Channel, Jamaica Post and GEWO Jamaica.
Doors open at 9:00 am Jamaica Time each day.
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