Guyana started its campaign at the Tokyo Olympic Games in Japan on a high when Chelsea Edghill won her first preliminary-round match in the women’s table tennis competition on Friday night.
The 23-year-old recorded an emphatic 4-1 victory over Sally Yee of Fiji at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gym.
Edghill, coached by Idil Lewis, opened the five-match game on a positive note by capturing the first set, 11-5. She lost the second set, 4-11, but rallied back with straight-set wins — 11-3, 11-6, and 11-8.
As a result of the victory, Edghill will advance further in the round of 32. Her next match will be against Yubin Shin of South Korea.
Edghill entered the Tokyo Olympics with an impressive resume so it was no surprise when she picked up a long-term deal with Smalta as its newest brand ambassador just before the Olympics.
The Lindenwood University graduate is a former under-21 Caribbean champion, former Youth Olympian, and 2018 National Sports Woman of the Year.
Edghill was the first Guyanese to bow into action at the Tokyo Games. She was also the flag bearer for Guyana, along with swimmer Andrew Fowler, during the Games’ official opening ceremony.
Meanwhile, boxer Keevin Allicock will be the next in action.
On Saturday, July 24 at 6:06 a.m. (Guyana time), Allicock will go up against Alexy Miguel de la Cruz Baez of the Dominican Republic in the men’s featherweight, round of 32, boxing bout.
Allicock is reportedly the first boxer since John Douglas — who participated at the 1996 Atlanta Games — to qualify for the Olympics.
It should also be noted that Guyana’s first and only Olympic medal, so far, was achieved in boxing through Michael Anthony when he won bronze in the bantamweight division at the 1980 Games in Moscow.
A total of 16 persons — seven athletes, five coaches and four officials — forms Guyana’s delegation to the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo which takes place from July 23 to August 8.
Guyana’s Delegation: Garfield Wiltshire (chef-de-mission), Angelica Holder (COVID-19 liaison officer/physiotherapist), Deion Nurse (secretary-general), Aliann Pompey (athlete representative), Julian Edmonds (athletics manager/coach), Denzel Abrams (athletics coach), Idi Lewis (table tennis coach), Sebert Blake (boxing coach), Shyka Gonsalves (swimming coach), Aliyah Abrams (athlete) women’s 400m, Jasmine Abrams (athlete) women’s 100m, Emanuel Archibald (athlete) men’s 100m, Chelsea Edghill (athlete) women’s table tennis, Keevin Allicock (athlete) 52-57kg boxing, Aleka Persaud (athlete) 50m freestyle and Andrew Fowler (athlete) 100m freestyle.
