Bob Ballantyne trumps in first ranking tournament for 2017

Robert “Bob” Ballantyne is showing that age is just a number, as he claimed the first of four St Vincent and the Grenadines Table Tennis ranking tournaments for 2017, by bossing last Saturday’s event, held at the West St George Secondary School.

Ballantyne registered a 5/11, 11/8, 11/3, 9/11, 11/6 win over Carlton Daniel in the final, as he earned the maximum 30 points, thus retaining his number one spot, held over from 2016.

Daniel improved his ranking to number four, beating Sean Stanley 11/9, 11/4, 14/12. Also defeating Stanley was Damion Dublin, who won 11/8, 11/5, 11/9.

Dublin held on to his number two position behind Ballantyne.

Meanwhile, Mikael Hazelwood proved to be the largest mover, as he finished the tournament in seventh position.

In advancing to Saturday’s main draw, Hazelwood, a protégé of Ballantyne, pulped national junior and schools’ singles champion Andre Mitchell, as well as the duo of Giles Garraway and Tyrone Jack.

The next open ranking tournament is set for April 8 at the Georgetown Secondary School, with the first junior ranking tournament for Under-18s carded for February 25.(RT)