Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
JAMAICA WILL play Barbados in a three-Test table tennis series starting tomorrow as part of their preparations for the Common-wealth Games next month.
Keith Garvey, president of the Jamaica Table Tennis Associa-tion (JTTA), said this current set of national players is the best prepared for a major championship.
"This has been the most prepared a national team has been going into any championship. They have been in constant training with the Chinese coaches," said Garvey.
The tournament will serve off at the Rex Nettleford Hall at the University of the West Indies (UWI), with the first Test beginning tomorrow at 6:00 p.m.
The Jamaica team will feature the likes of Commonwealth Games captain Nigel Webb, Gavin Hylton and Darryl Strachan while the Barbados side boasts Robert Roberts (three-time Caribbean champion), Abby Clark (former Barbados national champion), Anderson Carrington and Shawn Bellamy.
TOP HONOURS
On Saturday, the top 16 Jamaican male players and the Barbadians will compete for top honours at the Rex Nettleford Hall, starting at 10:00 a.m.
Then on Sunday, the Barbadian team will travel to Mandeville for the second Test at the Northern Caribbean University Gymnatorium as part of the JTTA's effort to expand the sport outside of Kingston. This match will start at 4:00 p.m.
Action returns to Kingston for the third Test on Monday at the Rex Nettleford Hall starting at 6:00 p.m.
"My expectation is that Jamaica will come out on top in the series but the biggest thing is that we are providing top-class competition for the team leading up to the Commonwealth Games," said Garvey.
According to Garvey, the series would not be a success without Sandals Whitehouse, which will provide accommodation and breakfast for the Barbados and Jamaica teams on the Mandeville leg.
