Saint Lucia’s men were the only English-speaking team to reach the knockout rounds of the Central American and Caribbean Senior Table Tennis Championships, advancing to the quarterfinals at the renovated Table Tennis Pavilion in Parque del Este, Santo Domingo. Puerto Rico won both the men’s and women’s team titles with strong performances.
In the quarterfinals, Saint Lucia faced Puerto Rico and lost 3:1. DeAndre Calderon secured the team’s only win, coming from behind to defeat Enrique Rios 3:2 (2-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-5). Manie Eleuthere lost 3:0 to Angel Naranjo, Leshon Francis fell 3:0 to Jadbiel Torres, and Naranjo sealed the match by defeating Calderon.
Saint Lucia finished second in Group 2, losing to Cuba but defeating Trinidad & Tobago. Calderon’s 3:2 win over Adrian Perez (12-10, 7-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-2) marked the first time a Saint Lucian defeated a Cuban in senior play. Calderon also beat Jorge Campos 3:1 (6-11, 12-10, 11-3, 11-2). Campos and Perez each defeated Manie Eleuthere 3:0, and Rene Mendez beat Leshon Francis 3:0.
Saint Lucia secured their first team victory, 3:1 over Trinidad & Tobago. Calderon swept Josiah Joseph 3:0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-5), but Malik Gopaul levelled the match by defeating Eleuthere 3:0 (11-2, 11-8, 12-10). Leshon Francis restored the lead with a 3:1 win over Anson Lowkie (11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 11-6), and Calderon sealed the victory by beating Gopaul 3:0 (11-3, 11-5, 11-8).
In the placement matches, Saint Lucia lost 3:0 to Guatemala and 3:2 to El Salvador. Calderon recorded two additional wins.
The women’s team gained valuable experience but did not win a set against Cuba or Guatemala, finishing last in their qualifying group.
Competition resumed Monday with the group stages of the singles and doubles events. The Senior Championships conclude on Wednesday.
This tournament is part of a three-event series in Santo Domingo, following the Central American and Caribbean Games 2026 qualification tournament and preceding the Caribbean Youth Championships, which will be held from March 17 to 23.
