Spotlight on Table Tennis
The 2015 fourth annual Dutch Lady Primary School Table Tennis Tournament was held today at the Belize Elementary School Auditorium. Seven Belize City schools yielded over ninety-two athletes in the competition today and for the first time, a female division was included. The competition is a part of the Belize Table Tennis Association’s goal to grow the sport. News Five was there for the games and spoke to President Arturo Vasquez, about the success of the sport.
Arturo ‘Tux’ Vasquez, President, Belize Table Tennis Association
“These are the ones that are competing, but really, we have a program that we work with the schools. We have a technical director that that visits one school each day of the week and we keep the schools’ interests. But they are not all competing today, but that’s what we are doing. We have been developing the sport in the junior category and hopefully we take this to the districts at some point.”
Arturo ‘Tux’ Vasquez
Duane Moody
“I understand that this time around, there is a consolation section of it. Talk to us about that.”
Arturo ‘Tux’ Vasquez
“Well you see, the whole idea is that we get to play as much as they can. Yes it is a long day, but kids and kids and they will be here all day if you leave them to play. So what we did this year was that we added a consolation section where the people who haven’t made it to the main draw, also have a chance for a consolation medal and we’ve done that in both categories. What that does is that it gives them encouragement to come back. Because not everybody is a winner in the main categories, so at least the second place or the people who haven’t made it to that can come back and try to make a win in the consolation section.”
Duane Moody
“Talk about the prices that these winners get.”
Arturo ‘Tux’ Vasquez
“Well there is first second third and fourth trophies for the main draw for both the boys and the girls and then we have a medal that goes to the consolation winner for the boys and the girls. And in addition to that there is a cup that goes to the winning school. And the person who wins in the boy’s division takes that cup. It goes from school to school; they hold it for a year and whichever school wins it three times gets to keep it. So far we haven’t had that. We have had Belize Elementary winning it twice, St. Joseph won it last year and now we are in the fourth year, so let’s see what happens today.”
In the Boy’s division: first place went to Bjarne Gabourel, Taye Parkinson came second, third place went to Samron Pott and fourth was Terry Su. In the Girl’s division: Kelly Liu came out on top with Allika Forman, Jazira Butler and Aejelee Thurton taking second, third and fourth, respectively.
