France-based Rheann Chung and Aaron Wilson of Carenage Blasters' were named T&T Table-Tennis Association (TTTTA) Senior "Sportswoman of the Year" and "Sportsman of the Year" when the association held its 2019 awards ceremony at the National Racket Centre Conference Room, Orange Grove Road, Tacarigua on Saturday last.
Chung was named the top women's player for 2019 after she earned a ticket to last summer's Pan American Games Table Tennis Tournament when she qualified on the third attempt at the Latin American Table Tennis Union and North American Table Tennis Union Qualifying Tournament for the Pan American Games in Guatemala City, in Guatemala earlier in the year.
An emotional Chung, a five-time Caribbean women's champion, who was still reeling from the passing of her step-father and mentor, former national and five-time Caribbean men's singles champion Dexter St Louis also last year, outclassed Costa Rican Fiorella Vallecillo 11-4, 11-7, 11-4, 11-4 in the round-of-16 followed by an 11-5, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7 whipping of Paraguay's Lucero Overlar in the quarterfinals.
With one of two spots at stake for the Pan American Games carded for Lima Peru in July/August at stake, Chung then brushed aside Guyana's Trenace Lowe 11-4, 8-11, 11-5, 11-2, 11-9.
The T&T trio of two-timenational women's champion, Brittany Joseph and men's pair Aaron Wilson, the national champion and Curtis Humphreys, both failed in their attempt to qualify.
Wilson was a very dominant force at home as he captured three of the five major titles at stake the Classified Table Tennis Championship, Silver Bowl Classic and Solo National Championship crown while he was third in the Super Singles after missing Trinbago Open.
Guyana's Shemar Britton who plays locally for Queen's Park Table Tennis Club won the Super Singles and Trinbago Open men's title.
Among the junior players, Priyanka Khellawan of Gasparillo Cobras and Queen's Park's Derron Douglas were named as the "Junior Women's Player of the Year and "Junior Men's Player of the Year" respectively.
Khellawan ended the year as the top-ranked Under-18 and Under-15 Division player and had the honour of being unbeaten in the latter division throughout the entire season, along with a runner-up finish to Shreya Maharaj in the Scotia Girls Open Division.
Douglas, meanwhile also proved to be the best among his peers in the Under-18 and Under-21 Boys age-group and led the Boys Team to a Bronze medal at the Junior Caribbean Championship, and Doubles bronze with Javier King.
By ending in the top three positions in the Team event, Douglas also helped the team which included King, N'Kosi Rouse and Abraham Francis to qualify to the Junior Pan American Table Tennis Championship.
2019 Honour Roll
Top Three Age-Group players
Under-9 Girls: 1. Jenai Samuel; 2. Nadira Rampersad; 3. Jannah Mohammed
Under 9 Boys: 1. Daniel Bhim; 2. Joshua Bhim; 3. Vian Bhagoo
Under 11 Girls: 1. Chloe Fraser; 2. Ashlea Mohammed; 3. Lyllana Boodhan
Under 11 Boys: 1. Gabriel John; 2. Dillon Bruce; 3. Malik Gopaul
Under 13 Girls: 1. Chloe Fraser; 2. Ashlea Mohammed; 3. Jordan Thong
Under 13 Boys: 1. Samuel Humphreys; 2. Sachin Ramsumair; 3. Malik Gopaul
Under 15 Girls: 1. Priyanka Khellewan; 2. Imani Edwards-Taylor; 3. Rebekah Sterling
Under 15 Boys: 1. Jamalli Maugé; 2. Nicolas Lee; 3. Nicholas O’Young
Under 18 Girls: 1. Priyanka Khellawan; 2. Imani Edwards-Taylor; 3. Shreya Maharaj
Under 18 Boys: 1. Derron Douglas; 2. Jesse Dookie; 3. Abraham Francis
Under 21 Girls: 1. Brittany Joseph; 2. Rayanna Boodhan; 3. Sarah Mohammed
Under 21 Boys: 1. Derron Douglas; 2. Jesse Dookie; 3. Shemar Britton
Women's Open: 1. Brittany Joseph; 2. Linda Partap-Boodhan; 3. Aleena Edwards
Men's Open: 1. Aaron Wilson; 2. Arun Roopnarine; 3. Shemar Britton
Junior Women's Player of the Year (Woman): Priyanka Khellawan
Junior Men's Player of the Year: Derron Douglas
Senior Women's Player of the Year: Rheann Chung
Senior Men's Player of the Year: Aaron Wilson
