Whyte shows dominance at National TT Champs
Published:Monday | August 14, 2023 | 12:08 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
TWELVE-YEAR-OLD Keeara Whyte was the top performer on Saturday’s second day of the 2023 National Junior and Senior Table Tennis Championships at the National Indoor Sports Centre.
Whyte showed her class as she won both the under-13 and under-15 titles following victories over Kira Scott and Kareca Peterkin, respectively. In the final of the girls’ under-13 Whyte defeated Kira Scott 11-6, 11-2, 11-9. However, she stated that her path leading up to the championships wasn’t as easy.
“I wouldn’t rate it as a 10 as I wasn’t practising like I used to because of some circumstances, and I actually started practice only this week. However, I want to continue my journey in table tennis and I liked how I played,” she stated.
In the final of the girls’ under-15, Whyte was placed under a lot more pressure from Kareca Peterkin but managed to overpower her opponent 11-6, 12-10, 11-9. She agreed that, that final was indeed more difficult to overcome.
“The under-15 final was harder because she (Kareca Peterkin) was more competitive than in the under-13. It was a difficult game, but I was able to cope with her. I idolise Japan’s table tennis player Mima Ito, and I want to play just like her, and I’m training to be just like her or even better,” the St Jago High student shared.
Japan’s Ito won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the women’s team event when she was 15 years old. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics she won a gold medal in the mixed doubles event, a bronze in the women’s singles, and silver in the women’s team event.
Daniel Davies, who helped guide the young Whyte to two titles, shared that the athlete had a rough patch in the qualifying rounds but managed to secure victories in both finals she contested.
“She came in with a mindset to win, and that’s what she did. She had a little struggle getting through the rounds, but as she went along, she got better, so in the final she eventually came through with the victory,” he said.
Davies also added that his young charge was mentally prepared for her battles and was pleased with her overall performance.
“She was both mentally and physically ready, and her overall performance at the championships was excellent, and she’s going to be a very good player,” Davis said.
The three-day championships ended yesterday.