Talented 11-year old Queen’s College student Marcus Smith captured the National Independence Table Tennis title when the two-day tournament ended at the Table Tennis Centre Saturday night.
Played in a handicap format, the tournament attracted many of the top names in local table tennis including national champion Mark Dowell, former Caribbean king Trevor Farley, Dale Rudder and Bryan Matthews.
There was also a return to the competitive table for former Barbados player Shawn Bellamy.
Smith knocked out Bellamy at the top 16 stage on Saturday following the round robin phase on Independence Day and then took out Kristian Doughty and Tyrese Knight on
his way to the final against 16-year-old Barbados Community College student Jeshaun Edwards.
Edwards knocked out Dowell 3-1, toppled Caribbean Under-13 champion Stephen Payne 3-1 and overcame veteran player Charles Lovell by the identical score line but had no answer to Smith in the final.
Under the rules of the tournament, players are credited points against more highly rated opponents. The greater the difference in rating between the opponents the greater the handicap applied.
In the final, Edwards started with a two-point lead and utilized the advantage to beat Smith 11-8 in the first game. Having lost the first game, Smith was only required to gift one point prior to the second game but Edwards did well to win it 11-6 and lead the set 2-0.
With Smith two games down, the third game started with both players on even terms.
Smith, who had previously seemed troubled by the medium force spin and counter spin approach by Edwards, found his rhythm and unleashed a series of powerful forehand drives.
The diminutive attacking player utilized the forehand kill effectively to anything marginally high.
Smith took the third game 11-4, won the fourth 11-7, starting one point behind and then secured the championship with an exciting 12-10 triumph in the decisive game which started with Edwards two points ahead based on the handicap requirement.
Knight received the bronze award, while Edwin Jordan took the Giant killer award for beating Dale Rudder who had a significantly higher ranking.
