THE Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA) has named four players to represent Jamaica at the World Table Tennis Championships to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from February 28 to March 6, 2016.

Jamaica’s contingent for the World Table Tennis Championships left the island yesterday for their training base in California, United States of America.

Making the announcement was JTTA’s president Godfrey Lothian at a press conference held at he Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) offices yesterday. Jamaica is expected to be in action on the opening day on Sunday, February 28.

The players selected to represent Jamaica at the World Championships of Table Tennis are Michael Hyatt, who is also the team captain, Jamaica singles champion Kane Watson, Mark Phillips, and Christopher Lewis, who was born in England of Jamaican parentage.

The Jamaicans will be coached by Pieke Franssen, who is from The Netherlands, while they are in California leading up to the World Table Tennis Championships in Malaysia. He is also head coach for the Alameda Table Tennis Center in California, where he presently resides.

Lothian informed the gathering that Jamaica will not have a women’s team at the event because top seeded players Yvonne Foster and Shanique Clarke are on the injured list.

Jamaica has been drawn in Group Four after winning Group Five and team captain Hyatt is optimistic of a good showing. “l am hoping to and looking to dominate Group Four, though I expect it to be very tough and challenging, where there some good teams and players.

“We have a very good team capable of winning, and as team captain we have to get ourselves entirely prepared. I am pretty excited and never backed down from challenges. I will be leading from the front to build confidence in my teammates. I have been playing from as far back as at 15-year-old and went on to become Jamaica’s National Men’s Singles champion on many occasions,” added Hyatt.

Meanwhile, Franssen said the Jamaicans will hold their training camp from February 14-16 in California, before playing two practice matches against American clubs.

“Jamaica will first play a top Division Two League Top Spins Table Tennis Club on Friday, February 19, and then Alameda Table Tennis Club the following day,” said Franssen who still harbours thoughts of a third practice match.

Franssen added: “There are some areas that presently need to tightened to get the players ready for the big test at the World Championships as they will be in training twice a day.”

He said Jamaica participated in the Latin American and Caribbean Table Tennis Championships where a Brazilian player won the men’s singes crown in Puerto Rico.

“Hyatt reached the round of 32 but lost in his next game, while Kane Watson and Hyatt reached the round of 16 in the men’s doubles, but were knocked out in the next match,” said Franssen, who hopes to see much improvement from the players.

Meanwhile, Christopher Samuda, first vice-president of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), wished the team all the success at the World Championships.

The Jamaican contingent leaves California for Malaysia on Wednesday, February 24.