Billingy and Van Lange crowned the table tennis U-21 championship

Eleven-year-old Jasmine Billingy and 15-year-old Jonathan Van Lange were crowned Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) U-21 Series Champions when the women’s and men’s finals took place at Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Sunday.

For Billilling, it was a pure sweep, as he not only defended his title (he won at the age of nine in 2020), but he dominated the junior teams at this year’s event, winning 15 and the U-Series. 19 years of age and younger.

POSSESSION
A Winfer Gardens elementary school student composed against his older opponent Thuraia Thomas in the finals of the event. He played measured and counted punches. The two players have established themselves as the best U-21 female players in the country.

Billingy had won round Robin’s U-15 division when he defeated Thomas in the U-19 final late last month.

Yesterday’s fight saw Thomas step up the game, but Billingy’s mature batting game was overwhelming.

Nevertheless, the match was good between the two rising stars.

Billingy led the opening 7-5, but Thomas returned to the lead with a 10-7 exchange with a hand and hand stroke. The game then went down while Billingy fought before Thomas won 15-13.

The rest of the match belonged to a brochure teenager who returned to a dominant 11-3 win in the second game.

However, Thomas did not give up and he intensified his game and forced Billingy out of his rhythm. He seemed to win after a third 9-7 lead, but his younger opponent was too high-quality and forced second again. The match ended 18-16 in favor of Billingy.

His dominance was evident in the final game when he sealed the victory 11-5.

LONG GOVERNMENT
Van Lange added the U-21 title to his 2022 U-19 title by showing Colin Wong. Wong showed struggle and experienced his glorious moments, but it was fleeting because Van Lange was always able to adapt and make the necessary changes, which made his efforts look flawless.

The game ended at 11-8, 11-3, 11-7 and 11-9.
On Saturday, Van Lange had hit the team with Shemar Britton to win the men’s doubles championship.