Schoolboy Shakeem Nurse beat Aaron Barker in the final of the This Is Who We Are tourney Tuesday night. (Picture by Kenmore Bynoe.)

Sports

November 19, 2020

Shakeem caps dream run

Article by sherrylynclarke@nationnews.com

Fifteen-year-old Shakeem Nurse is now truly a man among men.

The precocious road tennis star demonstrated that growing up on the Mecca of road tennis in Bush Hall was not wasted as he played a “big man’s game” to win the Goddard’s Sports & Cultural Club This Is Who We Are championship in front of a big crowd on Tuesday night at the Hanschell Inniss car park, Fontabelle.

Showcasing smoking smashes, deft drops and intense returns, Nurse defeated former national table tennis player Aaron Barker 21-6, 7-21, 22-15 to pocket the $1 000 prize. Barker, 43, earned $800.

After the rivals split the first two games, Barker suffered an injury to his right gluteus maximus that affected his movement and impacted the high-drama contest.

Nurse is known for his trash talking and confidence from his early days in secondary school and it showed after his biggest victory. (KB)

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