HILLEL Academy were the dominant force at the 2015 Jamaica Prep Schools Table Tennis Association (JPSTTA) one-day tournament presentation of awards ceremony held at the Institute of Sports (INSPORTS) Board Room last Tuesday.

The one-day tournament was played on Thursday, June 18, at the Excelsior High School Auditorium, and was sponsored by Thrifty Gas, LASCO Manufacturing Limited, and Kingston Wharves Limited, and sanction by the Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA). Coached by Peter Daley, Hillel captured the team event for boys and girls, Under-12 boys and girls singles, and Under-10 boys singles, while the girls Under-10 singles was won by Mount St Josephs.

Hillel captured the boys team event title ahead of St Andrew ‘B’, who they defeated 4-1 in the final with St Andrew ‘A’ taking third place, while Hillel won the girls’ team title beating St Jago in the final with Portmore Missionary finishing third.

For the individual events, the boys Under-12 singles title was won by Daniel Isaacs of Hillel who beat Justin Nelson of Portmore Missionary 3-0, while Nathan Chin of Sts Peter and Paul and Aneika Harriage of St Andrew took joint third place.

Alicia Pairman of Hillel was the winner of the girls’ Under-12 singles crown by defeating Gabrielle Hennie of Mount St Joseph 3-0 in the final, while in joint third place were Jessica Mullings of Sts Peter and Paul and Brianna Clayton of St Jago. Nicholas Aiken of Hillel won the boys’ Under-10 singles title with a 3-1 win over Jelani Barnaby of St Andrew, while Dujaun Jackson of St Andrew and Joshua McDaniels of Hillel were in joint third place.

Liana Campbell of St Jago was the winner of the girls’ Under-10 singles title by defeating Kishann Christie of Mount St Joseph 3-0 in the final, while Danielle Irving of Portmore Missionary and Jannel Blake of Holy Childhood were joint third place. President of the JTTA, Godfrey Lothian, said the tournament was successful.

“This is the first time in table tennis history in Jamaica that prep schools in the island were involved in a tournament such as this nature,” he said. The table tennis boss said there are approximately 200 prep schools and 800 primary schools in the island, and this is a great opportunity to launch the programme, in addition to doing so in the communities in the various parishes.

“By having a three-year development programme throughout the island, Jamaica should within the next five to six years become the number one table tennis country in the Caribbean,” Lothian added.