As was expected, Canada-based David Mahabir retained the Over-45 Veterans Singles title when the 2019 Solo Seniors National Table Tennis Tournament hosted by the T&T Table Tennis Association resumed at the National Racket Centre, Orange Grove Road, Tacarigua on Saturday.
In a straight forward Veterans decider, 69-year-old Mahabir, a three-time Caribbean Veterans champion and winner of the Men's Open title in 2013 steamrolled Servivors' Riad Abasali 11-8, 11-6, 11-6 to secure his fourth divisional title.
Earlier in the quarterfinals, Mahabir crushed Oxford's Anthony Laquis 11-1, 11-1, 11-3; Franklyn Seechan outlasted Faiz Mohammed 11-7, 10-12, 11-3, 12-14, 11-4; Abasali brushed aside Nigel Morgan 11-5, 11-9, 11-5 and Wayne Oudit beat Dave Ramoutar 10-12, 11-5, 9-11, 11-7, 11-5
And in the semifinals, Mahabir, winner of the Over-65 European Veterans Championship in Hungary last month, spanked Oudit 11-2, 11-7, 11-7 and Abasali came from 0-2 down to beat Seechan 10-12, 7-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-4.
The women's Open is down to the final-four with defending champion, Catherine Spicer of Power to meet Linda Partap-Boodhan while 12-time national champion Aleena Edwards and two-time champion Brittany Joseph will clash on Sunday.
This after Spicer swept past Imani Edwards-Taylor, Chelsea Fong ousted Linda Partap-Boodhan 11-9, 11-8, 11-7, Edwards rallied past national Under-11 champion, Chloe Fraser 8-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-1 and Joseph dumped Shreya Maharaj 11-6, 11-2, 11-7.
Curtis Humphreys of WASA began defence of his men's title in the round-robin group stages last night with Mahabir, Reeza Burke, Curtis Humphreys and Aaron Wilson his main challengers.
