Pentecostal Light & Life (boys) and St Augustine Girls' High School will be favourites for the respective Open team titles when the annual Scotiabank Schools' Table-Tennis Tournament serves off at the Chagaunas Regional Indoor Sports Arena, Chaguanas from 9.30am today. Last year's Maple Leaf International (boys) and St Augustine Girls' High School captured the titles, however both have not entered this time around. In addition to Pentecostal Light & Life which will be led by boys' Open champion, Orell Cooper, Presentation College of San Fernando with Roopnarine-brothers Arun and Vimal at the forefront should be the main contenders in the Open team tournament. In SAGHS' absence, Naparima led by Catherine Spicer, Lakshmi Girls' with Shannon Watson and Dayna Samaroo will battle for top honours.
Meanwhile, Presentation College and Naparima Girls' High are both expected to repeat as champions' in the Under-15 Division, despite challenges from ASJA Boys' College (Sarvesh Mungal/Amresh Mungal) and Bishop Anstey East, respectively. Other schools expected to compete are St Joseph Convent (St. Joseph), Trinity College (Moka), Queen's Royal College and Arima Secondary South. All team and doubles events will be contested today while tomorrow (Sunday), the singles competition serves off with Orell Cooper of Pentecostal Light and Life put his boys' Open title on the line.
Cooper will be up against a field which includes last year's Under-15 champion Arun Roopnarine, Aaron Wilson and Mungal-brothers, Sarvesh and Amresh. Among the girls', Ambika Sitram of Hillview College will defender her Open title. However, this time around she faces a stern test to repeat with the likes of Naparima College's Catherine Spicer, winner of the Under-15 crown last year listed to do battle. Others in the mix are Bishop Anstey High East's Brittany Joseph and Laksmi Girls' duo, Shannon Watson and Dayna Samaroo.
