Two of Saint Lucia’s top table tennis players recorded significant results at the Central American and Caribbean Senior Championships in the Dominican Republic this week. DeAndre Calderon reached the Round of 16, and Leshon Francis the Round of 32, at the renovated Table Tennis Pavilion in Parque del Este, Santo Domingo. Singles began on Sunday, with finals scheduled for Wednesday, April 15, while doubles started on Monday.
Calderon was second in Group 13 of the men’s singles. The 21-year-old right-hander from Corinth, Gros Islet, returned to the Caribbean from playing with his club in Germany. In Santo Domingo, he defeated Barbados’ Mark Dowell 3:1 (11-8, 11-3, 8-11, 11-7), lost to Isaac Vila of the Dominican Republic 3:0 (12-10, 11-7, 11-4), and beat Guyana’s Niran Bissu 3:1 (11-3, 6-11, 11-6, 11-5).
In the Round of 32, Calderon eased past Costa Rica’s Gabriel Quiros 4:1 (14-12, 12-10, 11-4, 8-11, 11-4). He lost in the Round of 16 on Tuesday evening, April 14, to Cuba’s Jorge Campos, who won 4:1 (11-6, 11-3, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7).
Francis, one of the youngest players in the tournament, was second in Group 3. Just 15 years old, Francis qualified for the Pan Am Senior Championships. The lefthander beat Barbados’ Ramario Gill 3:0 (11-5, 20-18, 11-9), lost 3:0 (11-1, 11-5, 11-2) to Mexico’s Marcos Madrid, and beat Trinidad & Tobago’s Anson Lowkie 3:1 (7-11, 11-6, 11-1, 11-5). In the Round of 32, he lost 4:1 (11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9) to Guatemala’s Ricardo Gatica.
Manie Eleuthere was fourth in Group 12 after 3:0 losses to Rafael Cabrera of the Dominican Republic and Shemar Britton of Guyana. He also lost to Gabriel Quiros of Costa Rica.
For the women, singles were tough. Shatal Charles lost 3:1 to a familiar foe, Stuti Kashyap of Antigua & Barbuda, and 3:1 to Yasiris Ortiz of the Dominican Republic. Zarianne Anthony fell 3:0 to Guatemala’s Lucia Cordero and Mexico’s Monica Munoz. Cherese Darcheville lost 3:0 to Mexico’s Marbella Aceves, El Salvador’s Cristina Machado, and Cuba’s Karla Perez Gonzalez.
Calderon and Anthony earned the only win in mixed doubles, beating Trinidad & Tobago’s Josiah Joseph and Imani Taylor-Edwards 3:0 (11-6, 12-10, 12-10), before losing 3:0 to Adrian Perez and Estela Crespo of Cuba. Charles and Francis lost to a Puerto Rican pair. Charles and Anthony lost their only women’s doubles match, as did Eleuthere and Francis on the men’s side.
