Liana Campbell - Table Tennis player on the rise

Liana Campbell has emerged from two weeks of regional competition and exposure as a table tennis player on the rise. Her fine work has earned her a trip to an International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) training camp in Paraguay. Her coach, Richard Davidson, isn't surprised.

Campbell was the top female player at the August 14-20 ITTF Caribbean Hopes Week in Kingston. That developmental training camp ended with a challenge tournament, which Campbell won. This success put her in line for an upcoming Continental Hopes camp in Paraguay.

Last Saturday, she confirmed her fine form with victory in the Under-11 singles at the Caribbean Mini andPre-Cadet Championships. She won that title comfortably over Shary Munoz of the Dominican Republic.

"We are very pleased with her performance," said coach Davidson of her Hopes Challenge win.

FINE TECHNIQUE

The coach said Campbell has fine technique and observed, "she's a very gifted attacking player". Davidson, who coaches Campbell at the Angels Academy in Spanish Town, has high hopes for the young player. Asked if she loves the game, he said, "she has a passion for it, and she's one of the talented ones, so I'm expecting great things from her."

Campbell is one of four players from the Caribbean Region who will be in Paraguay three weeks from now. The others are Munoz, Eduardo Darley and Ramon Vila. Darley beat Vila to win the boys section of the Hopes Challenge tournament. Vila, an aggressive left-hander, reversed that result in the Caribbean Region under 11 final on August 26.