National Table Tennis player, Shemar Britton, a former Caribbean Under-21 gold medalist, will attend the Puerto Rico Butterfly Open from April 8-10 after an influx of corporate support led by the Guyana Committee of Services (GCOS).
At a simple ceremony at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC), Bourda, on Wednesday, Public Relations Officer, Rajan Tiwari, explained that their support of the national athlete is part of their “firm mandate” to assist sportsmen and women in Guyana.
Tiwari revealed Connection Travel Agency, Beacon Café, i-Net Communication Inc., Peter Clarke, Donna Ramkumar (Payless Variety Store), Lennox Cush, and Harry Parmesar Accounting Firm are the others who supported.
Britton was seeking US$2,500 for his team, which comprises top regional counterparts, Barbadian Tyrese Knight and Trinidadian Aaron Wilson, to attend the event, which will give them the opportunity to play over 20 matches per person over the three-day period.
The ultimate aim is to be prepared for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, from July 28 to August 8. Both Guyana’s male and female teams have qualified for the multi-sport event.
Britton recently returned from the Senior Caribbean Championship in Cuba where he was eliminated at the quarter-final stage. He explained tournaments like the upcoming one are key for them to perform better at international events.
After that Caribbean Championship, he jumped 111 places to now be ranked 693 in the world, the highest by a Guyanese male player, and he is looking to keep on the ascendency.
Britton departs on April 7 for the event in Puerto Rico.
