National Table Tennis Player earns Brazilian club scholarship

The scholarship will allow her the opportunity to train and play tournaments as a representative of the Jaceiri Table Tennis Club in provincial and regional tournaments.

National Table Tennis Player earns Brazilian club scholarship

National table tennis player Natalie Cummings has departed Guyana for Brazil where she will undergo a six-month training stint at the Jaceiri Table Tennis Club, Sao Paulo.

Cummings gained an intern scholarship opportunity which was provided by Waldemir Jose Silva Jnr, President of Jacarei Table Tennis Club.

The scholarship will allow her the opportunity to train and play tournaments as a representative of the Jaceiri Table Tennis Club in provincial and regional tournaments.

This is the second opportunity provided by the club to Cummings with the first being in 2014 for two (2) months which was used to help her prepare for several international engagements in the Pan American Festival, Commonwealth Games the Caribbean Senior championships and the CAC games.

Cummings expressed that the first stint was truly beneficial to her since she was able to add new elements to her game and strengthen the women’s team chances with quarterfinals performance at the Commonwealth Games when they defeated Scotland and at the Caribbean Championship when they won silver in the team championships.

“I’m a bit excited and feel somewhat privileged to gain acceptance and be considered a second time to benefit from such an opportunity given they are hard to come by. I’m hoping to learn as much and develop my technical and tactical abilities give a good account of myself and to help bolster Guyana’s women team chances of doing well at future international competition.”

Cummings is the holder of a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Guyana and has expressed an interest in pursuing endeavors aimed at realising her table tennis potential while she contemplates advance studies and work.

Cummings said the coach in Sao Paulo has the reputation of being one of the best, “Brazil is looking to expand their league and has been offering internship opportunities to foreign national players.”

Cummings’ stint and stints in China by Lowe and Chelsea Edghill should help the national women’s team better their silver medal performance at the 2016 Senior Caribbean Championships scheduled for September 2016 in the Dominican Republic.

Brazilian players are highly ranked in the world and recently their 19-year old, Hugo Calderon won the Latin American senior men’s title and the World under-21 male title at the World Championships in March 2016

In addition, Cummings is currently the number two ranked female player in Guyana and runner-up to Chelsea Edghill at Guyana 2016 National Table Tennis Championships.

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