Back injury puts out Roberts

Barbados’ medal hopes took a serious nosedive with the withdrawal of United States-based player Robert Roberts from the singles events at the Central American and Caribbean Games Table Tennis Championships in San German, Puerto Rico, yesterday.Roberts sustained a muscle injury that produced severe muscle spasms in his back during the men’s team competition last week. He was taken from the playing area on stretcher and conceded the match, with the third game being recorded as an 11-0 loss.The former Caribbean champion has been under the care of doctors and has been receiving therapy but has not recovered sufficiently to be effective in the competition. Against medical advice he returned to the tables a few days later for the men’s doubles, teaming up with Trevor Farley.  The pair reached the quarter-finals but failed to advance to the medal rounds.“I was in severe pain during that match,” Roberts told NATIONSPORT from the Games Village.“The doctors told me not to play but I felt we had a chance of a medal and I gave it a try.”Team manager Marguerita Felix confirmed that Roberts did defy the orders of his medical team and played through the pain in an effort to capture a medal.The Barbados players made a disappointing start to the singles events, with Julia Morris, Sherice Felix, Sabrina Worrell and Ann Reid all losing their opening group matches without winning a game.Anderson Carrington, the only male to compete up to press time, also lost his opening match in straight games.