Trinidad and Tobago’s veteran table tennis champion Bob Roopnarine capped a commendable performance at the Central American and Caribbean Masters Table Tennis Championships by capturing two bronze medals.
Roopnarine secured his first medal by reaching the semifinals in the Masters 60-64 division. However, he failed in his bid to reach the final, going under to Mario Espinoza of Nicaragua 11-8, 11-6, 6-11, 9-11, 5-11.
His second bronze medal came in the team event. As the lone T and T representative at the tournament, Roopnarine joined forces with Honduras’ Alberto Barrera and Carlos Caffaro of the Dominican Republic in a round-robin format against Mexico 1, Mexico 2, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
The combined trio dropped their opening match 2-3 to Nicaragua, before rebounding with a 3-0 triumph over Mexico 1. Honduras halted their momentum with a 3-0 defeat, but they prevailed 3-0 for a total of six points to secure third place overall and the bronze medal.
?Reflecting on his performance after the tournament, Roopnarine said: ‘It’s a crazy feeling. I never expected anything like this. I have not been playing regularly, and I have some problems with my joints, ankles and knees, so I never expected to reach this far.
‘So it is a pleasant surprise to me, and I am happy that it has happened. It will open the way and pave the way for more persons from the Caribbean and Trinidad and Tobago to participate in these events in the future.’