Roopnarine, Spicer top table tennis awards

Teenagers Arun Roopnarine and Catherine Spicer walked away with the lion’s share of honours at the T&T Table Tennis Association’s awards held at the VIP Lounge, Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, on Sunday. Roopnarine and Spicer were voted as the association’s men’s and women’s “Players of the Year” in addition to walking away with a number of other accolades.

A Naparima Girls’ College student, the 15-year-old Spicer ended the 2010 season as the top-ranked player in the girls Under-15, Under-18 and women’s rankings locally. Spicer was also a member of the national women’s team which captured the senior Caribbean team title while the men also won. She won medals at the World Junior Circuit events and is the sport’s women’s Junior and Senior nominee for the upcoming First Citizens Sports awards for the year 2010. Spicer also holds World Senior, Junior and Cadet rankings.

The 13-year-old Roopnarine of Presentation College, Chaguanas, ended the 2010 campaign as the top rated player in the boys Under-13 and Under-15 age-groups. He was the biggest mover in the rankings for 2010, ending at No 16 in the men’s ranking. Roopnarine also won medals in World Junior Circuit events and at the Caribbean Cadet and Junior Championships. He is the eighth-ranked pre-Cadet (U13) player in the Latin American Table Tennis Union and holds World Senior, Junior and Cadet rankings.