The senior men’s table tennis team and two-time Olympian Chelsea Edghill have officially secured their spots for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games following a gritty qualifying campaign in the Dominican Republic over the weekend.
The quartet of Shemar Britton, Jonathan Van Lange, Elishaba Johnson and Niran Bissu secured their place for this summer’s showpiece following a clinical display in the group stages.
CAC will also be in the Dominican Republic from July 24 to August 8.
Despite an initial setback against Costa Rica, the Guyanese side bounced back with back-to-back 3-0 victories over Haiti and regional rivals Trinidad and Tobago, finishing second in their group.
Men’s captain Shemar Britton expressed immense pride in the team’s ability to overcome a challenging start and “jet lag” to secure qualification.
“To bounce back and beat an in-form Haiti and then Trinidad—who are always a strong outfit—shows tremendous growth and fighting spirit,” Britton stated.
“Last year the team had a tough outing and many said we were too young, so I am extremely pleased to prove we can compete at this level.”
It was a bittersweet tournament for the women’s side. While the team narrowly missed out on qualification—finishing third in their group after a hard-fought 3-2 win over St. Lucia—two-time Olympian Chelsea Edghill ensured she would be heading to the CAC Games by qualifying for the Women’s Singles event.
Taking to social media, Edghill celebrated the milestone: “Came here with the mission of qualifying for the #SantoDomingo2026 CAC Games and did just that! To my teammates, thank you for your support… we didn’t get the result we wanted in the teams, but we will continue to work.”
While the men now shift their focus to the Senior Caribbean Table Tennis Championships (running April 9–16), the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) confirmed that the women’s team will sit out the event to continue a “transition process” focused on bridging the experience gap.
Attention also turns to the rising stars of the sport. Jasmine Billingy and Samara Sukhai, alongside Malachi Moore and Kayden Meusa, are set to represent Guyana at the South American Youth Games in Panama later this month.
The national teams continue to work under the guidance of coach Joel Alleyne as they prepare for a busy international summer in the Dominican Republic.
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