Guyana junior players continued their fine showing at the Annual Goddard's International Table Tennis Championships in Barbados by capturing six individual titles and placing second in the team event.

In addition Guyana bagged two runner-up places to the second place finish in the team event, at the tournament played at the Barbados Table Tennis Centre, Bridgetown.

The outstanding performers were Jonathan Sankar who won the prestigious boys Under-17 title, Jody Ann Blake who took the female version, Zach Gonsalves who made a successful defence of the boys Under-14 title and 10-year-old Steffan Kellman of Mae's School, who took the boys Under-12 championship.

Blake also teamed up with Michelle John to win the girls doubles title, while John and Raymond Baksh captured the mixed doubles crown in an all Guyanese final.

Guyana also secured a second in the girls Under-14 division after John lost 1-3 to the left-handed Felix in the final.

Sankar who placed second last year, defeated Puerto Rico's top seed Walter Alomar 3-2 in the final while Blake also stepped up a rung on the rostrum from last year by winning the girls crown ahead of Barbados' number one player, Sherrice Felix, who lost 0-3.

Gonsalves defeated Barbados' Jade Padmore 3-1 in the final, while Kellman, ranked number three in Guyana, defeated Graham Marquez also of Barbados, by a similar margin.

Blake and John upstaged the Barbados pair of Felix and Alana Russell in the girls doubles final, while Baksh and John outlasted their more experienced team mates - Blake and Sankar - to take the mixed doubles title.

Commenting on the team's performance, manager/coach Sydney Christophe stated that "the team was just outstanding and deserve their achievements".

He said preparations for the championships started from the second week in January and were more intense than previous years.

Christophe added that the association would be sending four players - two juniors and two seniors - to Brazil for training after the Junior Pan American championships, slated for late June in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

GTTA president Beni Sankar was elated with the team's performance and disclosed that they would be sending a team to this year's Junior Caribbean Championships, billed for Puerto Rico in August expressed his thanks to Christophe for a job well done.

"I knew the players had the ability and Sydney brought it out", He added "the Barbados team went to Sweden to train for the tournament, yet we did better than them".

Sankar stressed the need for more facilities if the sport is to prosper locally. "The administration gave us some facilities, but we need more, I'm not attacking anyone and don't want to sound as though I am" Sankar asserted.

The rice magnate said the GTTA raised their own funds - over US$4000 - to participate in the tournament.

Jonathan Sankar said he is looking forward to representing Guyana at the junior Caribbean and Pan American Championships.

The others added that they are all very happy to win their respective trophies.

The GTTA is thankful to all the persons who assisted the team, especially Baksh Jewellery which donated playing jerseys.