It’s been an uphill struggle for the Barbados table tennis players competing in the 2011 Latin American Championships and Pan American qualification tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Both men’s and women’s teams bowed out of the team competition prior to the main draw that included the Latin American competitors and therefore failed to qualify for the Pan Am Games to be held at the same location in October.
Grouped with other Caribbean teams in the preliminary stages, the Barbados women lost all three of their group matches, while the men beat St Vincent and St Kitts, before going under 0-3 to the Dominican Republic in the semi-finals.
None of the Barbadian pairs advanced to the main rounds in the men’s doubles, women’s doubles or mixed doubles but Mark Dowell and Trevor Farley remained in contention in the men’s singles events after some success in the group stage.
Dowell lost his singles match to Roger Sequeira but won with a walkover from Mexico’s Marcus Madrid to finish second in his group. Farley defeated Christopher St Louis of St Lucia 11-7, 9-11, 11-4, 11-8 to finish second in his group after going under to Chile’s Alejandro Rodriguez at 14, seven and six.
Aaron Barker dropped both his group matches to Eric Mancini of Brazil and Jaime Valenciano of Colombia in straight games on both occasions.
The games continue throughout the weekend and conclude next Tuesday. (PH)
