ISSA urban, rural table tennis competitions serve off today
THE 2020 Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Full Service Consultants Table Tennis competitions serve off today with play in urban and rural sections, starting at 2:00 pm This year’s competition has attracted a total of 35 schools, comprising 21 urban and 14 rural.
Denbigh High are the sole newcomers to the competition this year. Urban and rural champions will be crowned in four categories — Under-19 boys and girls, and Under-16 boys and girls — with the urban champions facing the rural champions for all-island supremacy.
Last year’s rural champions were Titchfield High School who won three titles — Under-19 boys and girls and Under-16 boys — while Westwood High were the Under-16 girls’ champions.
Ardenne High are the defending urban Under-19 boys’ and girls’ champions, with Calabar High winning the Under-16 boys’, and Wolmer’s Girls’ the Under-16 equivalent for females.
Last year’s all-Island champions were Ardenne in both the Under-19 boys’ and girls’ categories, Calabar in the Under-16 boys’, and Wolmer’s Girls’ in the Under-16 girls’ competition.
The competition will be played on a home and away, best-of-five format which includes three singles and two doubles. Matches scheduled for today in the urban competition are Ardenne vs Calabar in Under-19, Hillel Academy at home against Jamaica College in Under-19 and Under- 16, Campion vs Excelsior High in Under-19 and Under-16, and Gaynstead High against St George’s College in Under-19.
The schedule of matches in the rural competition shows Glenmuir High vs Denbigh High in Under-19 and Under-16 boys’ and girls’, and St Mary High vs St Mary Technical in Under-19 boys’ and girls’ competitions at St Mary High.
St James High meet Muschett High in Under-16 boys, and Merlene Ottey High battle Mount Alvernia High in Under-16 girls’ competitions.
Westwood entertain William Knibb High in Under-19 and Under-16 girls’, while York Castle High play Ferncourt High in Under-16 boys’ matches.
The urban competition is divided into three zones, with the top two teams from each advancing to the semi-finals while the winners of each zone in the rural competition will qualify for the semi-finals.
Second-place teams will qualify for the round-robin semi-finals, the winner of which will join the other winners of their respective zone.
— Gerald Reid