KINGSTON, Jamaica —Jamaica is making a bold move on the global table tennis stage, with several international players officially switching sporting allegiance to represent the black, green and gold.

The players, who have competitive experience across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, bring international exposure, technical strength and greater depth to Jamaica’s national programme as the country sets its sights on competing with the world’s best.

Aubyn Henry, chief strategy officer of the Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA), said the move forms part of a wider strategy to unite Jamaica’s local and diaspora talent.

“Jamaica has immense talent both at home and throughout the diaspora, and our goal is to build a unified platform that brings that talent together. By combining these distinct playing styles and experiences, we are establishing superior daily training, intense internal competition and, ultimately, a world-class standard of play when we represent Jamaica internationally,” Henry said.

Players making the switch are:

Micheal Henry (USA)
Rogan Lewis (Canada)
Shaquille Webb Dixon (UK)
Imani McPherson (USA)
Odingo Mitchell (USA)
Teano Cato (UK)
Roberto Byles (Houston, Texas)
David Williams (UK)