……Britton expresses confidence in securing CAC spot
Nineteen-year-old national racket-wilder Shemar Britton knows a tough task is on the cards but is by no means fazed as he participates in the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Table Tennis qualifiers which got underway Wednesday and concludes Sunday in Cuba.
“I am not nervous at all; to be the best you have to beat the best so I am looking forward to defeating the best players Central and Latin America has to offer” he told this newspaper prior to departure on Tuesday.
He added, “My technique is sharper, I am sharper, I am psychically fitter; I am ready for the battle.”
Britton forms part of a contingent that includes Christopher Franklin, Joel Alleyene and Nigel Bryan, Natalie Cummings, JodyAnn Blake and Trenace Lowe. Given only the top eight of the 13 male teams make the cut and the top four for singles, he expressed confidence they can accomplish those requirements for the July 19 to August 3 CAC Games in Colombia.
“We have earned a top five in the CAC but we are still looking to move from there and break into the top three. We are building a bond since we train with each other and are all friends, so it’s now about executing our tactics.”
Immediately after these qualifiers Britton and Allyene will stay on in Havana for the Latin American championships from March 4-9 after which his attention turns to the Commonwealth Games from April 4-15 in Gold Coast, Australia.
At the 2014 Commonwealth Games held in Scotland, the senior Caribbean Bronze medallist was the youngest of the lot with the likes of Franklin, Paul David and Idi Lewis as company.
“It was a great tour for me, I was able to go with the senior guys and I learnt a lot that tour, being able to just watch on and soak up as much information as possible. Now I am more seasoned and ready to give a better account of myself”, the fore-arm dominant player posited. (Akeem Greene)
