OVER $1 million in prize money will be available to participants at the inaugural Optical Solutions International Tennis Weekend, set for Saturday, March 4 and Sunday, March 5 at Alfred Sangster Auditorium, University of Technology, Jamaica in St Andrew, starting at 9:00 am daily.

The tournament is being staged in association with the Jamaica Table Tennis Association, which has sanctioned it.

Table tennis players in all competitive age groups, male and female, will compete.

The most lucrative prizes are available in the Men’s ‘A’ category in which the winner will receive $120,000 for his efforts. The second-place finisher will earn $60,000.

The winner of the Men’s ‘B’ crown will take home $70,000 while the runner-up stands to collect $35,000.

In the Women’s Open category the winner’s prize is $80,000 while the runner-up will get $40,000.

Other prizes include:

Boys’ Under 19 winner $40,000; runner-up 20,000

Girls’ Under 19 winner $30,000; runner-up $15,000

Boys’ Under 15 winner $25,000; runner-up $12,500

Girls’ Under 15 winner $25,000; runner-up $12,500

Boys’ Under 13 winner $15,000; runner-up $7,500

Girls’ Under 13 winner $15,000; runner-up $7,500

Boys’ Under 11 winner $10,000; runner-up $7,500

Girls’ Under 11 winner $10,000; runner-up $7,500

Boys’ Under 9 winner $10,000; runner-up $5,000

Girls’ Under 9 winner $10,000; runner-up $5,000

Trophies will also be awarded to outstanding players.

Parents or guardians of minors who win cash awards will collect on behalf of the players, and the money is expected to go toward their schooling, organisers have said.

“We are giving back to table tennis in our own small way,” said managing director of Optical Solutions International Gari Wythe. “We expect a large turnout of table tennis players and we hope that we can build on this historic tournament because we intend to make it an annual affair. Hopefully, other sponsors can come on board next year so that we can make the prizes even more attractive, lift the standard of competition, and get more players to come out and compete.”

There is a $3,000 entry fee for seniors while for the juniors the entry fee is $1,500. Entries, which close Friday evening, may be sent to osilentries.jtta@gmail.com

Organisers have said that some of the prominent names in local table tennis have entered already. They include veteran Ernest Virgo; Christopher Marsh, Dexter Thompson, Kane Watson, Samuel Lamont, Ryan Peters, and promising youngster Gari Wythe Jr in the Men’s Open category.

Among the Women’s Open, Brittany Murray, Leanna Smith, Olivia Petrekin, Liana Campbell, and Tsayne Lewis are among those already entered.There is also strong support for other categories, tournament officials have said.