With the inaugural Junior Pan American Games two weeks from commencement, national junior champion and talented table tennis ace Jonathan Van Lange will depart Guyana on Saturday evening for the Samson Dubina Table Tennis Academy in Ohio, USA, to begin his final preparation for his participation at the first Junior Pan American Games, scheduled for November 25th to December 5th, 2021.
His participation at the camp has been made possible through the support of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) and Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA).
“Samson Dubina Table Tennis Academy is a high yield Table Tennis training facility which offers great variety of players well qualified coaches and is widely recognised as a major hub for elite and developmental players and has a wide variety of player,” the GTTA said.
Van Lange, who gained a wildcard spot based on representation by the GTTA and the GOA, which gained the ITTF-Americas confederation members support, will play in Doubles and Singles competition at the games.
“Over the last six weeks Van Lange played and trained under the guidance of GTTA President Godfrey Munroe, Coach Idi lewis and had the benefit of senior players- national champion Christopher Franklin, Shemar Britton and Joel Alleyne, who worked with him in preparation for the major competition,” the GTTA added.
“The training camp comes on the GTTA stated position that, with support from the Guyana Olympic Association, is hopeful it can send Jonathan Van Lange to a High-Performance camp ahead of the inaugural Junior Pan-American Games in Cali, Colombia.”
The GTTA added: “The GOA support was sought to provide intensification of his final preparation and the executive committee unanimously agreed to assist the 14-year-old in his quest for excellence. The thought was that we needed Jonathan in a competitive environment with new players to sharpen his awareness, provide high quality match play while training, adjusting to new players and a new environment which would help to build his psyche, given that he wasn’t able to play any major competition over the last 18 months.”
His training at the Samson Dubina Academy will commence from Monday (November 15th) and conclude on November 27th, after which he will depart for Colombia.
Table Tennis competition at the Junior Pan American Games commences on November 30th and concludes on December 5th.
“Mr. Dubina, who is happy to have Jonathan as he builds a partnership with table tennis in Guyana, indicated that he will pay keen attention to Jonathan’s final preparation and has mapped out a detailed training programme, which will see Jonathan benefit from approximately five hours training daily in individualised and group training sessions, along with match practice in league play, covering elements of tactical play, random and indirect footwork, serve ad reception,” the GTTA explained.
The Junior Pan Am Games will start November 25th, but table tennis players are only allowed to enter the games from November 27th with the discipline going into competition mode from November 30th.
“An exceptional talent who has great prospects for regional and international success if given the correct support and nurturing in the ideal environments for growth, Jonathan’s qualification for participation at this event provides a great platform for him to register and commence his quest for qualification at the Junior Olympic Games, Junior South American Games 2022, Junior Commonwealth Games, among other Junior Olympic cycle and key international events within the junior realm, a position that he outlined he is committed to achieving,” the GTTA said.
“The opportunity to participate in these games truly places him the spotlight of the ITTF for possible selection as an ITTF “With the Future in Mind Player”, based on his talent to age abilities.”
The inaugural Junior Pan American Games is a multi-sport events conceived by Pan Am Sport as a basis for developing and offering the next generation of athletes from the Americas the opportunity for high-level performance.
