Johnson and Seleesha Young claim singles titles at Hubert Lawrence Memorial TT Classic

Nineteen-year-old Wolmer’s Boys student Johnson and national player Seleesha Young took the men’s and women’s open singles titles on Sunday at the Hubert Lawrence Memorial Table Tennis Classic, staged at the GC Foster College Auditorium.

The meet, branded Spin Jam Summer 2026, is the second of seven championships on the Hubert Lawrence Memorial calendar. Competition covered 11 divisions: boys’ and girls’ under-9, under-11, under-13, under-15 and under-19, plus open men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and B open men’s singles.

In the men’s open final, contested over a best-of-seven format, Johnson defeated Brian Blake four matches to two. He had reached the final with a four-to-one semi-final win over Rudolph Sinclair. Blake advanced after beating Adeniyi Akande four matches to two.

The women’s open final followed a best-of-five format. Young edged national teammate Brittany Murray three matches to two. In the semi-finals, Young swept Kristina Roys three games to nil, while Murray overcame Carissa Peterkin three matches to one.

The Jamaica Table Tennis Association is sanctioning the series, which also doubles as preparation for the national squads ahead of coming regional championships.

One of the champions said the build-up had been highly technical and tailored to personal needs, with the focus on strengthening strong points and addressing weaknesses rather than dwelling on an opponent’s game. The player said the title underlined that the work put in was paying off and offered encouragement ahead of the next tournament.