Ting Ledesma has taken it – the game – most of the time for fun.
This time in the just recent concluded 10th Donic Chancellor’s Cup table tennis national invitational championship, Ledesma proved his worth when he captured the men’s open single’s battle of the champion title last April 3, 2008.
Ledesma showed flashes of backspins to score a stunning 11-9, 10-12, 11-8, 11-7 victory over Japhet Adaza to sweep all five matches in that single division at the University of the Philippines College of Human Kinetics in Diliman Quezon City.
“I’m not expecting to win this title because there are many players around,” said the 35-year-old Ledesma who is the president of the Metropolitan Table Tennis Association. “When I played in the championship, I just did what I needed to do.”
Although he is not a member of the national team for almost 15 years, Ledesma said he stays playing table tennis often everyday.
“I usually play table tennis for fun even I’m not a member of the national team for a long, long time,” said Ledesma, a member of the Philippine team in 1993. “I love the game ever since when I was a kid.”
Cagayan De Oro native Ian Lariba, meanwhile, the current youngest national player at 13, mastered Jade Jalloren of Cainta TTC, 11-5, 11-7, 11-6, to get the women’s singles open battle of the champion trophy.
“I’m very thankful that I won the championship,” said Lariba.
Other singles champions were Japeth Adaza (men’s singles non-rank); Sandra Bazar (women’s singles non-rank); Leo Sacopla (boy’s singles 17-and-under); Marian Lynn Sanchez (girl’s 17-and-under singles); Karl Bolado (boy’s 13-and-under); and Mae Ingeniero (girl’s singles 13-and-under).
In the team event results, Air Force defeated Killer Spin, 3-1, for the men’s team open crown; Andro A – La Salle whipped Cainta TTC, 3-0, for the women’s team open title; TSP Goldwing beat Bacoor, Cavite, 3-0, for the boy’s 17-and under title.
Cainta TTC walloped TATAND, 3-1, for girl’s team 17-and-under crown; UP Baguio won over the men’s team closed title against sister school UP-Diliman, 3-2; the Fil-Chi of Jerry Gue swept Pangasinan, 3-0, for the boy’s elementary title; and P. Gomez-Earnshaw took home the girl’s team elementary crown by beating Lagro Elem., 3-0.
Other champions were Jeje Marcelino and Jojo Almazan who captured the men’s doubles crown; Henezy Aragon and Ian Lariba bagged the women’s doubles title; Jojo Marcelino and Ian Lariba got the mixed doubles plum.
by Josef T. Ramos
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