by Ian Marshall
The Central American Team Qualification starts on Monday 10th May, the Pan American Junior Games Singles Qualification on Wednesday 12th May, before the six-day Central American Championships, staged from Friday 14th to Wednesday 19th May concludes the programme.
Central American Team Qualification to Cali 2021 Pan American Junior Games
Three places in each of the men’s team and women’s team events in Cali at stake; Mexico start favourites in a tournament for players in the under 21 age group (born in 2000 or later). Success in the team events, also guarantees places in the men’s singles and women’s singles.
Impressive at the recent Central American Youth Championships, Juan Jesus Gomez and Dario Arce form the Mexican men’s team, for the women it is Clio Barcenas and Arantxa Cossio Aceves.
Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras and Panama complete the men’s entry, for the women, Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rica.
Two players per team contest two singles, a doubles, and then two further singles if needed to determine the outcome.
Each event will be organised in two knock-out stages; in the first competition the teams reaching the final qualify, in the second only the winner.
Matters conclude with a men’s singles and women’s singles event for players who have not secured qualification via the team event; the teams in question may only nominate one man and one woman. Only the winners qualify for Cali.
Pan American Singles Qualification to Cali 2021 Pan American Junior Games
Places booked via the team competition, for those not successful, National Olympic Committees may enter a maximum of two players for each of the men’s singles and women’s singles events.
Four men’s singles places and the same for women available; similar to the team agenda, two knock-out tournaments will be staged; in each instance, the finalists gain qualification.
The table tennis events at the Cali 2021 Pan American Junior Games will be staged from Friday 10th to Wednesday 15th September.
Central American Championships
The full seven events on offer – men’s team, women’s team, men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles – Guatemala and Mexico head the order.
Mexico’s Ricardo Villa is the top male name ahead of Guatemala’s Kevin Montufar; for the women, it is the reverse country order: Mabelyn Enriquez heads the list, next in line is Clio Barcenas.
In both the men’s team and women’s team events, play will be conducted in two stages, group play followed by knock-out. Similarly, the men’s singles and women’s singles events will be arranged on the group principle followed by knock-out.
The top four teams in each of the men’s and women’s events qualify for the Pan American Championships to be held later in the year in November.