KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC):

TWO OF Jamaica's four recently qualified international umpires, Richardo Lee and Clive Johnson, will be on duty at this year's US Open table tennis championships in Las Vegas.

Following the conducting of an umpires' course last year by an International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) umpiring director, and the successful completion of the course by four participants, the organisers of the US Open invited the JTTA to send two umpires to the tournament.

The JTTA selected Lee and Johnson for the July 4-7 tournament. The two will only have to pay their air fares, with all other expenses - including stipends - covered by the US Open organisers.

It is expected that many more regional and international engagements will follow this one, with Donald Salmon and Matthew Dawson, the other two qualified international umpires, to get their opportunities on other occasions.